


Summer Storm

by Obsidian3



Series: Seasonal Changes [1]
Category: Carmilla (Web Series), Carmilla - All Media Types, Carmilla - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
Genre: Drama & Romance, F/F, Supernatural Elements, season 1 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-14
Updated: 2016-02-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 17:33:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 125,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4573440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obsidian3/pseuds/Obsidian3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why would a college that was shut down during the summer have a group named the Summer Society? The answer was... surprising, and not one Laura liked. (season 1, very much AU)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own _Carmilla_. What's going on so far this season should prove that.  
  
Author's Note: To those of my readers wondering why this isn't the next chapter of 'Let's Pretend', well... Suffice to say, I need a little break from season 2 for a while. (Which I suppose is kind of ironic, given the whole point of that story, but... Well. It's not going anywhere.) Hopefully this particular AU will be entertaining enough that nobody minds TOO much.  
  


* * *

  
  
_What just happened?_  
  
Not the actual, literal events, of course. Those were easy enough to recall: Carmilla showing up as she filmed her latest video (that had not been _her_ Snape/Ron fic, dammit!), giving her a gift with a seemingly believably selfish explanation that didn't _quite_ hold up, and... flirting with her.  
  
Flirting.  
  
With _her_.  
  
To say Laura was confused would be an understatement.  
  
And... the camera was still running. Well, at least she'd be able to prove she hadn't just imagined the whole thing. "Okay," she finally said to it as she struggled to bring her whirling thoughts into some kind of order. "So, if that really was... flirting... then there are two options here." Was it only two, though? Maybe not, but two were all she could handle just then. "One: My immoral, jerkface, possible-kidnapper roommate has a crush on me, and is giving me presents." She honestly wasn't sure how she'd feel, if that proved to be the case. However... "Or Two: My immoral, jerkface, possible-kidnapper roommate is pretending to have a crush and is giving me gifts because _I'm next_."  
  
She knew _exactly_ how she'd feel if that was the case. And knowing her luck...  
  
She had to get the charm off her. _NOW_. Without Carmilla in the room to distract her, she was slowly becoming aware of a pulsing _**wrongness** _ about it, and she couldn't stop herself from flailing about and making disgusted sounds as she all but ripped it off her wrist, lunging out of her chair and shoving it under her mattress. But... No, no that wasn't good enough; the horrid thing would still be too _close_ to her, that way. After a moment's thought, she pulled it out and shoved it under Carmilla's mattress, instead.  
  
That was better. Not great, but better. She slumped down in her chair. What was she supposed to do, now?  
  
An answer - of a sort - came in the form of LaFontaine appearing at the door that Carmilla had never bothered closing. "Hey, we lost her at the Shunned House, again. I swear I knocked on every door in the ladies'; I'm developing a reputation."  
  
Laura could only sigh. Like things hadn't been complicated enough already?  
  
"Geez, frosh, what contaminated your control samples?"  
  
"Oh, you know... I miss my dad. I have papers due. I'm about to become my roommate's next victim." Because Carmilla _couldn't_ have been genuinely flirting She just... she just couldn't have been, was all.  
  
"You really think you're in the crosshairs?" LaFontaine asked, walking into the room and sitting down on Laura's bed.  
  
"I don't know," she replied honestly, heaving a huge sigh. "Even if I am, what am I supposed to do about it?" It wasn't like she hadn't tried getting help, after all. "I showed Perry footage of Carmilla lifting, like, a four hundred pound duffel bag and Perry suggested Carm must 'really be giving it her all at boot camp'."  
  
Wait. Carm? Where had _that_ come from?  
  
Fortunately, LaF didn't notice. "Yeah. Perr likes normal," they said fondly. "She's been that way since we were kids." They paused briefly, then came out with an example. "She used to play monsters, and she'd pretend to be the monsters' mommy. And wouldn't it be nice if we brushed our monster teeth and did our monster homework?" Even Laura, as distracted as she was, couldn't help but chuckle a bit at that. LaF paused again, longer this time, then hesitantly suggested, "We could go over Perry's head."  
  
They could? "To whom?" She wouldn't have been having so much trouble getting to the bottom of things if _anyone_ in authority cared, she didn't think.  
  
"Well, there's at least one other person we know who has a vested interest in reigning Carmilla in."  
  
Oh, she did _NOT_ like where this was headed. "Are you suggesting-"  
  
"That you shower, change into your best cub reporter duds, we crash the Faculty Club, and present your evidence to the Dean?" LaF interrupted.  
  
"The Dean?" Laura repeated slowly. She'd been so sure that LaF wasn't as crazy as some people said they were... "Aren't we supposed to be avoiding her at all costs?"  
  
"Desperate times, desperate measures," LaF said simply. "Come on. Let's get you changed into something with a little less whiff."  
  
_Excuse me?_ "Are you saying that I smell?" Because she was pretty sure that wasn't true.  
  
Mostly.  
  
"I'm saying that I don't want the way you smell to affect my credibility with the Dean." They prodded an unhappy Laura out of her chair and toward the bathroom. "I've got a couple of theories to run by her about the swim team..."  
  
This, Laura decided, wasn't going to end well.  
  


* * *

  
  
Sometimes, she hated being right.  
  
The Faculty Club crash, along with LaF's bizarre diatribe - the Illuminati? Seriously? - had been bad enough. Then they'd decided to research the clue that Laura had literally grasped at the last moment... which meant a trip to the Library.  
  
She wasn't sure why, but she just _knew_ that it should be capitalized.  
  
It hadn't been too bad, at first. She'd even been able to (mostly) ignore the skittering in the stacks. The Silas Library also had to have the best online system anywhere - it provided a cross reference before they'd even typed anything. (Vaguely, she remembered wanting to investigate said computer system before Betty went missing and everything got all crazy. She made a mental note to come back to that once this whole mess was resolved.) After that, though... Well, things had gotten... odd. The stairs vanished. The monitors warned them to run. The skittering got closer. Books and index cards from the card catalogue took to the air and attacked them. Using her mace and LaF's lighter to set the vortex on fire had made sense at the time, really it had... until they realized that all they'd done was go from being trapped in a vortex of books and cards to being trapped in a _flaming_ vortex.  
  
Still, though, they'd gotten out of there just fine! Danny was totally overacting. (And okay, so maybe that text had been a little desperate. But they'd met her _outside_ the Library, so shouldn't that have helped her calm down?) And more than that, they'd gotten the information they were looking for.  
  
It seemed that every twenty years, five girls would go missing from the University. She wasn't sure _exactly_ how far back this went, but the one other constant was that Carmilla - or whatever anagram'd name she happened to be using at the time - would always be there when they did.  
  
Because, apparently, she was a vampire.  
  
She was pretty sure that piece of information should have been harder to accept than it was.  
  
It was sweet - or possibly _very_ worrying - that Danny leapt straight to looking up means of killing vampires when she heard that Carmilla was making "seduction eyes" at Laura (the dreams and charms evidently didn't matter), but, as she'd made clear, the only thing that would help would be to trap her and make her talk.  
  
She had not expected to be the bait in that particular trap, though.  
  
As much as she didn't like the idea, she could understand the reasoning. Danny... didn't seem inclined to even try. She didn't like anything about the idea. Not even - or perhaps especially not - that Laura had enlisted the Zetas to help trap Carmilla. Laura had to give the guys credit, though; as jerky as some of them might have been, they _were_ willing to potentially risk their lives going up against a possible kidnapper and/or murderer to protect the girls on campus. (And maybe she did really only know Kirsch, but he seemed like a good guy, if a little... less than brilliant.)  
  
Her efforts to psych herself up for being vampire bait kind of backfired, though. Instead of being calm and cool, all it had done was drive home exactly how helpless she'd be if Carmilla decided she wanted a snack in the middle of the night, and her 'soy milk' wouldn't do. She started jumping at every sudden noise, convinced she was being stalked, that Carmilla was just toying with her.  
  
Which is what lead her to be standing on the Summer Society's front porch, ringing the bell and looking around nervously. She probably should have been in bed already - it had been night already during their adventure at the Library, and that was hours ago - and she had classes in the morning, but she couldn't help it. Maybe she was a huge chicken, but she just couldn't do it. She could _not_ spend the night trapped in the same room as a quite-possibly-hungry vampire who had made it clear she had _some_ kind of designs on Laura.  
  
Even if some of those might potentially be fun...  
  
No. No, not going there. _Really_ not going there.  
  
The door finally opened, revealing... Well, someone. Danny was the only Society member she actually knew. The girl standing in front of her was about five-foot-two, Asian, and had purple streaks in her medium-length hair. "Yes?" she asked warily.  
  
Not the friendliest greeting ever, but it was pretty late in the day - Danny hadn't even answered her text - so she supposed she might have woken some people up. Not this girl - she was dressed in faded jeans and a Summer Society T-shirt, which suggested she was just coming back from or about to head out on a campus patrol - but she hadn't really wanted to inconvenience anyone. Laura smiled at her - and really, it was so nice to be able to look someone in the eyes for once, rather than getting a sore neck from looking up all the time - and said, "Um, hi. Is Danny around? Danny Lawrence? I'm-"  
  
"Laura," the girl interrupted. "Yeah, I know. Between the videos, the truce with the Zetas, and Danny mentioning you, I think we all know who you are. My name's Gail."  
  
Danny was talking about her to her Society sisters? No, no, that wasn't the point... even if it did make her feel all warm and fuzzy inside. "Nice to meet you." She couldn't help but dart a quick look around. "So, um-"  
  
Gail shook her head. "Sorry, sorry. Come in." Rather than waiting, she all but dragged Laura inside, closing the door behind her. "Danny's in a... meeting, right now. She should be out shortly."  
  
Laura processed that somewhat odd statement as she looked around. The unassuming-looking front door lead to a surprisingly normal hallway with plush burgundy carpeting (which made her feel like she should have wiped her feet, even though her shoes were clean), cream-colored walls and a matching ceiling, with a trio of evenly spaced luminescent domes providing light. "I don't want to interrupt," she began, beginning to wonder if she'd made a mistake in coming here.  "I just, um... I have a little favor to ask."  
  
Gail gestured for Laura to follow her down the hall. "This have something to do with the roommate?"  
  
Laura blinked. "Wha- How...?"  
  
Gail smiled over her shoulder. "I told you, we've seen the videos," she reminded her, sounding vaguely amused.  
  
"Right." She paused a moment, decided _What the hell?_ and blurted out, "Carmilla's a vampire."  
  
Gail halted in mid-step, causing Laura to nearly crash into her. "Ah," she said a few moments later. "That... _would_ explain a few things." She resumed walking, emerging into what might have been a receiving room back when the mansion the Summer Society lived in had first been built. Oh, it still held the appropriate furniture - a total of seven comfortable-looking chairs in varying shades of green arrayed around the large room, each with a wooden end table next to them; a leather couch that reminded her of Carmilla's wardrobe enough that she forced her eyes elsewhere and refused to even think about it; a fireplace (not lit), with a large flat-screen TV about a foot above it - but she'd never heard of the Summer Society throwing any parties that were open to anyone but their sisters. (The subject had come up after she'd started spending time with Danny. As long as it was 'normal' enough, Perry was always happy to share what she knew.)  
  
"Such as?" She stopped next to the fireplace, studying it. The sides were shaped to look like Grecian columns, with the - she momentarily blanked on the term - pediment having a  tympanum that contained relief sculptures of... Were those elves?  
  
"Aside from what was in your videos, you mean? Danny requested that anyone with any woodworking skill at all get busy producing stakes, and that we round up all the garlic we could find." Gail sat down on the arm of a nearby chair, watching her. "She usually doesn't pick fights with anyone but the Zetas, so we were a little confused."  
  
"Heh." A smile flickered across her face. "You know, you're taking all this very calmly." More so than she was, to be certain.  
  
"This is Silas, home of the weird. Don't worry, frosh, you get used to it."  
  
Oh, goodie. Something to look forward to. "Still, I don't wanna cause trouble..."  
  
"Probably shouldn't have started uploading those videos, then," Gail said simply, shrugging. There was no judgement or condemnation in her voice. "Besides, one of the reasons the Summer Society was founded in the first place was to protect people."  
  
Laura shot her a look. "Protect _people_ , or just _girls_?" she asked pointedly.  
  
Gail looked like she was about to object... then she deflated, chagrin flooding her features. "Everyone," she admitted, sounding abashed. "We'd kind of lost sight of that, for a while. So we already owe you for reminding us of that, never mind all the work you're putting into finding our missing sister. Don't worry about asking any favors."  
  
Laura felt a sliver of guilt, as she'd really gone from looking for Betty to trying to solve a mystery that had evidently been going on for at least as long as Silas University had existed, with no stops inbetween. Not that she didn't want to find Elsie - abominable taste in study-buddies notwithstanding - but... On the other hand, if she found Betty, she _would_ also find Elsie, so Gail wasn't exactly wrong. She walked over to the couch, dropping onto it with a sigh. She regretted not being able to pack anything, even a change of clothes, but she'd been so paranoid when she'd left her dorm room that she'd been convinced that Carmilla would _know_ if she took anything. "I don't get this thing you guys have with the Zetas," she said randomly, trying to distract herself from her thoughts. "They can't be _all_ bad."  
  
Gail shook her head. "It started long, long before I ever got here. I'm not sure anyone really remembers how, anymore. Protecting girls from people like them might well be how we lost our way, for all I know."  
  
Laura wanted to protest the broad statement... but couldn't, remembering how even the genuinely goodnatured Kirsch hadn't been able to take a hint and leave that first time, needing Carmilla to smack him around and bite him to drive the point home.  
  
(And honestly, biting? How had she _missed_ that?!)  
  
Her phone vibrated in her pocket, distracting her. She pulled it out and flipped it open, relieved to find an answering text from Danny: **Where R U?**  
  
Guessing that whatever meeting she'd been in must be over, Laura typed back: **Your living room. :)**  
  
She heard feet rapidly descending a staircase... which was odd, as she had yet to actually see any stairs. Her unvoiced question was answered when a panel opened up in the wall to her left, revealing Danny, with a sturdy oaken staircase behind her. "You have secret passages?" she asked, tone somewhere between excitement and disbelief.  
  
"Most of the older buildings do," Danny said distractedly as the panel swung closed behind her. "What are you doing here?" She seemed to catch herself. "I mean, it's always good to see you, don't get me wrong..." She'd reached the couch by this point, and was checking Laura for injuries with all the subtlety she possessed... which was to say, none at all.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude," Laura began, feeling painfully awkward. "I just... kind of freaked out, thinking about sleeping while Carmilla was _right there_ , and..." She shrugged, looking at the floor.  
  
Danny let out a breath, sounding... relieved? "Believe me, I'm happy to keep you away from her."  
  
"I'll bet," Gail said dryly, smirking.  
  
Danny shot her a Look. "Don't you have somewhere to be?" she asked pointedly.  
  
"Was just waiting on you," Gail replied evenly, standing up. "You got this?"  
  
Danny's expression softened. "Yeah. And thanks."  
  
"Not a problem." Gail's face suddenly lit up in an impish smile as she walked over and quietly told Danny, "She's _cute_ , Lawrence."  
  
The glare was back. "Gail..."  
  
"Is it serious?" she asked playfully. "Because I would be _happy_ to-"  
  
Whatever she would be happy to do would remain unknown. " _ **Go**_ ," Danny growled. Grinning unrepentantly, Gail flounced off down the hall to the front door. Danny shook her head, sighed, and looked back at Laura... who was studying the floor, her cheeks bright red.  
  
_Dammit..._ She resisted the urge to facepalm, instead saying, as calmly as she was able, "You'll have to forgive Gail. She's... Gail."  
  
Laura huffed out a quiet laugh. "No, it's fine. It's just... Well, you know how overprotected and sheltered I was at home." It had come up when Laura was digging into her surprisingly large cache of weapons while they were discussing the 'trapping Carmilla' plan. (Mace and a bat, Danny got. Even the bear spray made some sense, though the quantity seemed a bit much. What her father expected Laura to do with a sword...) That particular piece of information had helped Danny understand why Laura resisted people trying to protect her, rather than help her, and she'd found herself having to curb her natural instincts once or twice. "I'm not quite used to so many people blatantly flirting with me. Let alone... girls. Anyone who might have wanted to never got the chance, back home."  
  
"But you're okay with it?" Danny pressed. "Because I can get them to stop." Or at least stop when she was around.  
  
"No, it's fine." She looked shyly up at Danny, a small smile pulling at her lips. "Not that I'm entirely against them knowing they wouldn't have a chance." She nudged Danny's foot with her own, scooting over to make room for her on the couch.  
  
Danny felt her heartbeat speed up. As far as signals went, that was a fairly blatant one. It was fairly late, though, and they weren't exactly in a private area. Nonetheless, she sat down next to her. What was she supposed to say? 'It's late, and we should get you to bed' would send exactly the wrong message... or the right one. She was pretty sure Laura wasn't ready for that step, though. "I know I haven't exactly been the most supportive of your plan," she began, but Laura cut her off.  
  
"I don't wanna talk about Carmilla right now," she said softly, leaning forward. Danny sent up a silent 'Thank you!' to the Summer Society's patron and founder, and met her halfway. The kiss was soft, and warm, and tender, and everything she'd hoped it would be... and then she felt a jolt that might have been static electricity - but... wasn't, quite - strong enough to make her jerk away, falling backward on the couch.  
  
Laura had a hand clamped over her mouth. "What the Hector Elizondo was _that_?"  
  
"I don't know," Danny said, frowning as she sat back up. "That's never happened before."  
  
"Well... It should have grounded itself out, right?" Laura offered, before leaning in to kiss her again. They didn't feel the same jolt.  
  
This one was worse.  
  
"Ow!" Laura had _both_ hands clamped over her mouth this time, tears in her eyes. "Stop it!" Who she was talking to, and what they were supposed to stop, neither girl knew.  
  
Danny, who could barely even feel her lips, shook her head. "Okay, time to get you to bed, I think. We can figure things out in the morning."  
  
Laura stood up. "I guess. I, um... didn't bring anything with me."  
  
Danny closed her eyes for a long moment. It seemed like Laura was designed to test her self-control, sometimes. "Don't worry about it. Just... sleep." She stood as well. "Don't even wanna know what might happen if anyone's hands wander during the night," she muttered as she lead Laura toward the hidden staircase.  
  
Laura blushed again. She was confused, aroused, frustrated, scared, and had a stinging pain in her lips that was fading slower than she would have liked, but hopefully a good night's sleep would help her sort all that out. They'd solve this newest mystery, too. Whatever was causing it...  
  
Well, how bad could it be?


	2. chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.  
  


* * *

  
  
Something was decidedly... off... about the Summer Society House.  
  
It was hard to say what had first tipped her off to that, but by the time they reached the fourth floor of what Laura was sure had only been a two-story structure from outside, she was certain of it. "Uh, Danny...?"  
  
She was pretty sure she saw the redhead wince slightly. "I know. Just... Not here. Not yet. Okay?"  
  
"I guess..." Just as long as there _would_ be an explanation at some point. There were so many things going on, so many mysteries, so many secrets... She just wanted _something_ to be explained. Was that so much to ask?  
  
The universe certainly was giving the impression that it was.  
  
They emerged onto the fifth floor, this time from behind a painting. Laura took a moment to look at it, frowning. The Summer Society having a painting depicting a battle hanging on their wall wasn't exactly a surprise, if Danny was an accurate representation. That said battle was taking place between an oddly ethereal-looking man with delicately pointed ears wearing shining armor of silver and gold, and what she could only guess was a troll...? Well, that was. Her gaze lingered on the hideous beast, its slavering jaws frozen in a snarl of defiance as it tried to get around the curiously silvery sword - was it supposed to be made of something other than steel? - before she turned away, burying a shudder... not that she could have said why, aside from it was late and she was tired. "What's with all the fairy tale imagery?" she asked as she followed Danny down the hall. There were occasional pictures on the walls, but these seemed to be of past members. "I thought sororities went in for more Greek stuff."  
  
"We're not exactly a sorority," Danny replied evenly, not looking back.  
  
"You're not exactly an 'outdoor social club for all girls athletics', either," Laura shot back, which was what Danny had been happy to let her _think_ they were.  
  
Danny winced again, more obviously this time. "Well, we _are_ that," she said slowly. "Just... not _only_ that. Sorority's closer, but even that falls short." She stopped at a seemingly random door, opening it and taking a quick look inside before stepping in. "You'll have to excuse the mess; I wasn't expecting company."  
  
Laura followed her in to find one of the most pristine bedrooms she'd ever seen. It was somewhat cramped, with little room to maneuver past the single twin bed, desk, bureau, and bookcase... but everything seemed to be neat and organized to her, with nothing on the floor. "...mess?"  
  
  
"I planned on doing some cleaning tomorrow."  
  
"I don't think anyone but Perry could find anything to clean in here," Laura told her, raising an eyebrow. "And remember whose roommate you're talking to, here." Living with Carmilla helped one understand exactly what a mess _really_ looked like.  
  
Danny laughed quietly. "True enough." She didn't relax at all until the door was closed behind them.  
  
Laura noticed. "It _is_ okay that I'm here, right?"  
  
"Technically, we're not supposed to have visitors after 10 pm, but exceptions are always made for anyone who needs prot- uh, help."  
  
It was her turn to wince, only partially due to the correction. "I just don't wanna get you in trouble..." She was also willing to concede that shielding someone from their undead roommate likely fell under the category of protection, no matter how she personally felt about the word.  
  
Danny waved that off. "You won't."  
  
"Good." There was a brief, awkward silence. "So... the painting?" she prompted.  
  
"I think that was a donation from an alumni about... twenty, twenty-two years ago? Something like that, anyway."  
  
"Ah." Well, that made some sense, at least. "Interesting choice, I guess."  
  
"It's supposed to represent the conflict between Summer and Winter."  
  
Lacking any better options, Laura sat down on the bed. "...okay?" She paused. "There aren't any winter-based groups on the campus, that I know of." Even the sports teams didn't seem to go in for any skiing or snowboarding, which was a bit odd, now that she thought about it.  
  
"There aren't. We never would have allowed it."  
  
She started. "What does _that_ mean?"  
  
Danny was silent for a long moment. "You should leave this alone, Laura," she finally said, quietly. "Dealing with the missing girls and Carmilla being what she is... That's got to be hard enough to wrap your mind around. Adding us to the list won't help at all."  
  
There was another, longer silence as Laura stared intently at Danny, who was avoiding her gaze by staring out the window... which certainly _seemed_ to be looking down at the yard from the second floor."No," she decided. "I want to know. All of this - the Summer Society - is important to you. So I want to understand it better."  
  
Danny melted a little. "You may regret that," she warned, turning to face Laura.  
  
"I might," she agreed. "But I'd _definitely_ regret it if I never asked."  
  
"....okay."  
  
This silence stretched on until Laura realized she was going to have to break it herself. Alright, questions it was. "So....?"  
  
Danny sighed. "There's one thing you're going to have to accept first, or there won't be any point in going on."  
  
"That being?"  
  
"Magic... is real."  
  
Laura blinked. "What do you _mean_ by that, exactly?"  
  
"Just what it sounds like. Magic is real. Not the stage illusions of so-called magicians, not fantasy worlds like Harry Potter. Magic is energy, to be drawn in and shaped by the caster. More than that, though, there's an entire world that exists alongside the everyday life of mankind. Powers, nations, monsters, wars, feuds, alliances... everything. Vampires, faeries, werewolves, monsters... You name it. The Summer Society was established a long, long time ago to try and protect humanity from those threats, when we could." Her lips thinned, and an inwardly-directed anger seeped into her voice. "And we got so lost that all we could think of was competing with the dudebro Zetas."  
  
"That's not your fault," Laura said instinctively. "And... wait. Established by whom?"  
  
"We're gonna have to disagree on that point." Danny sighed. "I... can't answer that question."  
  
She blinked. "You don't know?"  
  
"No, I do. I mean I literally, physically cannot."  
  
"What?"  
  
Danny looked at her for a long moment, then, with a serious expression that didn't match her light tone, said, "Like I was saying, magic is real. One example would be a geas."  
  
"A wh-?"  
  
"G-e-a-s. A kind of magical compulsion, though that's something of an oversimplification. One hypothetical example would be, say, if I wanted to tell you anything about our founder, but was under a compulsion not to discuss it with anyone outside of the Society."  
  
Her head was starting to hurt. "So... everyone in this hypothetical scenario would be jumping onboard blind?"  
  
"Oh, they'd be warned about the limitations ahead of time, as well as what was expected of them. But it would also be quite rewarding, and offer them the chance to make a positive difference in the world. And, of course, those girls we find that have a magical heritage of their own are always encouraged to join, both for their own protection, and to have somewhere that they'd fit in, and could be themselves." She paused, then added, "Hypothetically."  
  
"And... the Alchemy Club?"  
  
"Oh, I can talk about them. Not that there's a lot to say. They're students and faculty that engage in alchemy." She shrugged. "The only noteworthy thing that they've done of late as far as I'm concerned is offering up the footage of the parties that tipped us off to Carmilla's involvement in the kidnappings."  
  
"So... Is magic something everyone in the Summer Society can do?" There was a part of Laura - a small voice in the back of her mind - that couldn't believe this conversation was happening, let alone that she was sitting there, discussing it all so calmly. But as new as she was to Silas, she'd still seen enough weird to know that ignoring it was not a viable survival strategy, and her only chance was to arm herself with as much knowledge as she could.  
  
Still, that part of her thoroughly sympathized with Perry and her desire for normality, at that moment.  
  
"It's not a requirement, no."  
  
"What about Elsie?"  
  
Danny frowned thoughtfully, leaning against the wall. "She may possibly have had some potential within her," she said at length. "A lot of people do, and never realize it. Any ability she might have was never unlocked, though. Probably why she was targeted."  
  
The ache in Laura's head was swiftly giving way to a dull throb. "I don't get it," she complained. "I thought the Summer Society was supposed to protect people, yet the kidnappings have been going on every twenty years for as long as there's been a Silas, if not longer."  
  
"I know." And she was visibly unhappy about it. "That's what I was talking to Mel about when you arrived."  
  
"Mel?"  
  
"Our President."  
  
"Oh." A pause. "So?"  
  
"So... Like I said, there are powers out there, in the supernatural world. Treaties. Evidently, in exchange for establishing this... outpost, for lack of a better term, as well as our protection efforts being unhindered, our founder agreed to look the other way when it came to the abduction cycle. Only she - or a duly authorized representative - would be able to change that, and give us permission to act." Her gaze fell to the floor. "And she's been gone for so long..." Danny said quietly, the sadness and deeply pained longing for something she'd never known filling her voice.  
  
She sounded so forlorn that Laura needed a moment before she could speak. "But you've been helping me," she pointed out.  
  
"Research. Investigating." Danny shook her head, still looking at the floor. "Not the same at all. And if we did find out anything, or figure out where they'd been taken to... If I tried to fight them anyway, it would... end badly."  
  
"But... Our plot to trap Carmilla...?"  
  
"That would be to protect you. Provided I don't try to step outside of those limitations, I'll be fine."  
  
She rubbed her forehead. "But-"  
  
"Laura," Danny interrupted, "you need to get some sleep. We can talk more in the morning."  
  
Sleep sounded _**so** _ appealing just then... "What about you?" she protested weakly, unable to resist when Danny came forward and prompted her to lay down. She didn't even bother undressing beyond kicking off her shoes.  
  
"I'll be fine," Danny assured her, then gave her a kiss on the forehead. Judging by the lack of new pain, that was allowed. "Sleep, now."  
  
Laura wanted to ask about the sudden pain that had interrupted their last kisses, really she did. However, no sooner had her head touched the pillow than she was falling asleep. She barely even registered the blanket being pulled up over her. She simply snuggled into the comfortable sheets, finally, blessedly, getting some much needed sleep.  
  
For all of maybe ten minutes.  
  
She wasn't sure what had woken her up, and certainly there wasn't a part of her that wanted to _be_ awake, just then. Nevertheless, she was. Before she could just shut her eyes again and go back to sleep - and she really wanted to - she became aware of a soft golden glow in the room. Struggling to focus - her still aching head was not helping with this - she finally noticed a tiny ball of light hovering several feet above the bed. And... was there a tiny little person in there? She managed to sit up for a closer look.  
  
It promptly zipped away from the bed, taking up a position near the door.  
  
She really, _really_ just wanted to lay down and go back to sleep. Was she _that_ curious about this possible hallucination?  
  
She sighed. Who was she kidding? Of course she was.  
  
With a groan, she slipped out of bed, barely remembering to put her shoes back on, and staggered toward the ball of light.  
  
Which abruptly darted away again, zipping _through_ the door.  
  
"Oh, come on..." she whined. This was _so_ not fair. What _was_ that thing?  
  
...unfortunately, that just raised her curiosity even higher. She sighed, opened the door, and followed it.  
  
The golden ball lead her back to the staircase and down two floors - she was willing to bet that any windows would _still_ be looking out the second floor, as seen from the outside - and down another hallway. She was too exhausted to take in any details - she could barely even remember what Danny's room had looked like - but when she got to the door at the end of the hall, that made her wake up just enough to take notice.  
  
It was thicker than any other door she'd seen in the whole building, and far more ornate, with intricate silver filigree inlaid at the edges, especially on the corners. There was a golden rose in the center of the door, and holding her hand up to it, she could actually _feel_ a humming energy within it. The door was also locked; indeed, the handle didn't move at all, even when she rested her whole weight on it. There may not have been an actual sign that said 'Authorized Personnel Only', but that was certainly the vibe she was getting from it.  
  
Unfortunately, the golden ball had gone right through that door, too.  
  
For a long moment, she just stood there staring at it, biting her lip as she debated whether or not to just go back to bed. There really wasn't any reason not to... aside from curiosity and stubbornness.  
  
 _Goddammit._  
  
"Um, please open up?" she said to the door. (She was tired enough that talking to a door didn't seem at all unusual.) "I need to get inside." Curious or not, the Summer Society was being nice enough to let her stay the night, if not longer, so she _wasn't_ going to just force her way into any private areas, so if it didn't-  
  
The door noiselessly swung open.  
  
She stared at it in dull surprise until her sluggish brain registered that, yes, the door was now open. She stepped into the room, trying to find her target...  
  
...and stopped when she noticed that, while the ball of light was nowhere to be found, Danny and another girl _were_ , and they were both looking at her in surprise.  
  
Not particularly happy surprise.  
  
"Laura?" Danny asked, confused. "How did you...?"  
  
"Where'd it go?" Laura countered, her voice thick with sleep enough that it took Danny a few seconds to understand what she'd asked.  
  
"Where did _what_ go?"  
  
"The... thingie." When that didn't seem to clear anything up - though Laura felt she'd been perfectly clear - she added, "Little, golden, ball of light thingie?"  
  
That was apparently enough. "A pixie," Danny said with a sigh. "Sorry about that. They sometimes get inside, and-"  
  
"Yeah, whatever," the other girl interrupted harshly. She strode across the room, drawing Laura's attention before she could try and figure out just where she _was_ , now, and stopped only a few feet away, crossing her arms and giving her a hostile glare. "How did you _get_ in here?"  
  
Laura shrugged, having no idea why that was such a big deal. "I said 'please'."  
  
"The _House_ opened the door for you?" Danny asked, sounding astounded. Upon receiving a blank stare in return, she realized, "You... have no idea what we're talking about at all, do you?" Laura wordlessly shook her head. "Of course not. Why would you?" Danny muttered to herself. "Mel-"  
  
"This is _not_ acceptable, Lawrence," Mel interrupted.  
  
"There's also no point in getting angry with Laura when she was lured down here by a pixie and opened the door by being polite," Danny countered. "Does she _look_ like any kind of threat?" She gestured toward Laura, who was swallowing a yawn as she looked sleepily from one corner of the ceiling to the other, trying to find the elusive pixie.  
  
Mel stared at her for a long moment, then huffed out a sharp breath, hostility seeping out of her posture. "Even so, this presents us with a problem. This room is supposed to be _secure_. A pixie shouldn't even be able to get in here, let alone a random journalism student."  
  
"It went through the doors."  
  
Laura's words were unexpected enough that it took Danny a moment to process them. "What?"  
  
"The... whatsit. Pixie. Whatever. It went through every door we came to." Giving up on trying to spot it near the ceiling, Laura started taking in the rest of the room.  
  
It wasn't huge, maybe a little smaller than her dorm room (including the bathroom). There was a solid, circular wooden table in the middle, with four chairs. (She whimsically decided they were at compass points.) There was a dull, lifeless emerald-colored sphere sitting atop a four-foot tall marble pedestal, pressed up against the center of the far wall; it looked, to her, like a gazing ball that should be on someone's lawn. Above it, there was an oval weapon display, wooden with a red crushed velvet interior, with a golden, ornate-looking war hammer mounted there. That was it. She was just awake enough to wonder why it was such a big deal that such a fairly empty room be kept secure.  
  
"That's... not possible," Danny objected. "Pixies can't _do_ that."  
  
"It did," Laura insisted stubbornly, trying to shake herself more awake. Enough so to at least focus on what was going on. _I need sugar,_ she thought randomly, then pushed the thought aside. " _You_ said it was a pixie."  
  
That left Danny at a loss. She shot a helpless look at Mel. The Summer Society president frowned. "Are you telling me the truth?" she asked Laura.  
  
The freshman was coherent enough now to realize that there was an odd cadence to Mel's question that her words hadn't had previously, and if she focused the way she had on the door... Sure enough, there it was, a light tension in the air, humming like the space between the tine of a tuning fork. "Yes, I'm telling you the truth," Laura said, trying not to feel insulted. The humming chime continued unabated. "Something woke me up, there was a tiny little ball of golden light hovering above me, and it just phased through all the doors or something as I followed it down here."  
  
Mel stared at her for another long second, then settled back on her heels, looking troubled. The humming tension faded away. "It could have been a spell of some kind," she finally mused, still not sounding happy, but it was at least not directed at Laura, anymore. "To be able to get through the wards around this room, though... It would have to have been sent from someone pretty high up."  
  
"And it wasn't either of us," Danny agreed. "Gail's not even in the building, anymore. Jenna hasn't gotten back from patrol, yet... Not to mention the question of _why_ anyone would go to so much trouble."  
  
Mel frowned pensively - Laura idly wondered what she would look like if she actually smiled for once - and slowly replied, "We may not be able to figure out 'why' without discovering 'who'... and to do that, we may need to learn 'how'." She sighed. "Who are you, Laura Hollis? And why are you here?"  
  
Laura had no idea how to answer that. "If you mean here at Silas... I applied, and was accepted. For some reason, my school's guidance counselor was convinced this was the best fit for me." She shrugged. "Not that there were all that many colleges nearby to choose from..."  
  
Mel stared at her intently for long enough to start making her nervous, then picked something up off the table that Laura hadn't noticed. "I wonder..." she mused absently.  
  
Danny raised an eyebrow. "What are you thinking?"  
  
"That she got a warded door to admit her by _asking it nicely_. There must be a reason." She held up the object in her hand, allowing Laura to finally get a good look at it: a translucent milky-white crystal, small enough to easily fit in the palm of her hand. It might have been moonstone.  
  
It wasn't. Not unless moonstone could abruptly explode into brilliant white light when it came near a person. Mel hadn't even brought it within six feet when the glow became painfully bright, visible even through her closed eyelids. Laura was dimly aware of pained noises coming from the other girls, and the sound of the rock hitting the wall after being flung away.  
  
It took a minute or so for everyone's vision to return to normal. If nothing else, Danny reflected dryly, Laura was almost certainly wide awake now. "And that was...?" the freshman in question demanded, grumbling.  
  
"It's... part of the security system, I guess you could say." How much would she be able to get out before the geas clamped her lips shut? "It's configured to measure... potential." Which wasn't quite accurate, but she knew better than to try and explain their defenses in detail to someone who didn't belong.  
  
"I think it's broken, then," Laura said, rubbing at her watering eyes and shooting the crystal an annoyed glare. She walked farther away from it - and consequently, further into the room - stopping near the gazing ball... or whatever it was. There was something...  
  
"That's never happened before," Danny admitted. "Even when the Council's all together." Mel inhaled sharply, eyes wide.  
  
"You've been saying that about a lot of things, tonight," Laura said distractedly, staring down at the green sphere in front of her as if trying to figure something out.  
  
"That's true," Danny acknowledged, most of her attention given over to analyzing Mel's reaction to her words before. Just because she'd-  
  
She froze.  
  
She'd mentioned the Council. By name. Which she should not have been able to do. Not with an outsider, and Laura was _not_ one of her sisters. Tentatively, expecting to be silenced at any moment, she added, "That was one tools left for us by the Queen."  
  
Nothing. Not even a vague twinge.  
  
She exchanged wide-eyed looks with Mel. "What the hell?" she whispered to the President, who could only shrug helplessly.  
  
Laura wasn't listening. "What is this?" she asked absently, still looking down at the sphere.  
  
"It helps control the building's defenses," Mel said slowly, which was _also_ something they shouldn't have been able to tell her.  
  
"It's... wrong," Laura said, frowning down at it.  
  
"They've broken down in the Queen's absence," Danny said, struggling to understand. The defenses may have unraveled, but the geas never had.  
  
"Not right..." The words were little more than a murmur. Seemingly without any conscious thought, her right hand drifted up to rest atop the sphere. " **Be right** ," she commanded it sternly.  
  
It may not have been the most grammatically correct sentence ever... but it was undeniably effective. There was an audible thrumming as the building nearly vibrated with energy, barriers and shields flaring to life in a way none present had ever seen before. In the space of a second, it went from practically inviting an invasion to being one of the most heavily fortified structures on the planet.  
  
Because Laura told it to.  
  
She shook herself out of her trance to find Danny and Mel staring at her with twin looks of surprise on their faces. No, surprise fell short; this was pure, naked _shock_. "What?" she asked, starting to feel self-conscious. "What did I do?"  
  
"You... How... What...?" Danny couldn't even string together a coherent sentence.  
  
"How did you _**DO** _ that?" Mel demanded. "No one's managed that in... well over a century."  
  
"How did I do _what_?" She didn't have the slightest idea what anyone was talking about, and after the night she'd had, she was becoming agitated. "Make sense, dammit!" Was that really so much to ask? She sighed in frustration, shaking her head... and froze as she noticed something she hadn't been able to see from where she'd been earlier near the door. " _What_ is _that_?" she asked through abruptly gritted teeth.  
  
As utterly baffled as she was, Danny still had the wherewithal to follow her gaze toward the portrait hanging on the wall. "That's... our founder," she managed. "Queen-"  
  
"No."  
  
Danny blinked. "What-"  
  
" _ **No**_." Laura's fists clenched in sudden anger. "What are you trying to pull, here? I've been pretty patient with all the magical nonsense, but making that look like my dead mother? That is going _way_ too far!"  
  
"Your moth-" Mel couldn't even finish, shock making her actually choke on the word.  
  
"It's... not an illusion, Laura," Danny said cautiously. "That's what it's always looked like."  
  
"No!" She shook her head in denial, hair flying back and forth. "I don't believe you! My mother loved me; she wouldn't _do_ that to me!" Before anyone could react, she ran out the suddenly open door and sprinted down the hall. After being frozen with shock for a few moments longer, Danny managed to run after her, but by then, it was too late.  
  
Laura was gone.  
  


* * *

  
  
Had Laura been thinking rationally, she would have run back up to Danny's room and barricaded it shut. She had, after all, gone to the Summer Society house for a reason. And even if they were a lying bunch of liars...  
  
Instead, trying to stave off an emotional breakdown by clinging to her denial as hard as she could (even though Danny had never lied to her before- No! No thinking like that!), she wound up running right back to the place she'd fled from in the first place.  
  
She was gasping for breath by the time she tore open the door and flung herself inside, barely getting it closed before dropping to her knees, lungs frantically straining to get oxygen back into her body.  
  
It took her a moment to register the lights being flicked on.  
  
When she finally did, a quick look around the room showed that, sure enough... "You're here," she wheezed out.  
  
"Been here a while," Carmilla said from her spot near the window, leaning against the closet and absently playing with a lighter. Still, she looked almost... concerned, as she watched Laura struggle to catch her breath. "Where were you?"  
  
She didn't want to think about that. "The Summer Society," she ground out, silently willing Carmilla to drop it.  
  
Naturally, the vampire did no such thing. "Spending the night with your girlfriend?"  
  
" _She's not my girlfriend_." Even Laura was mildly surprised by the sheer amount of anger in her voice... until she remembered why it was there.  
  
If nothing else, she managed to break through Carmilla's detached, philosophical mood. "Whoa, easy there, Cupcake. What's with you?"  
  
" _They're **liars**_ ," she snapped, somehow not especially surprised when she noticed tears sliding down her face onto her arm as she leaned against the closet, knees pulled up against her chest. "My mother died when I was little. She _loved_ me. She would **never** have abandoned me!" She looked at her hand, saw it was shaking. She was trembling. Even after noticing, she was helpless to stop it.  
  
She heard the sound of something metallic being set down, then Carmilla was there, crouching down in front of her. "Cupcake..."  
  
"She _**wouldn**_ 't!"  
  
" _Laura_."  
  
She blinked, startled out of her dark, whirling thoughts by Carmilla's uncharacteristic use of her actual name... and the surprisingly gentle hands cradling her face. "I believe you," she said simply.  
  
"...wh-what?"  
  
"I believe you," Carmilla repeated. "I can just barely remember what it was like, having a mother who loved me. I get why someone trying to taint those memories is getting to you like this."  
  
Laura couldn't help a quiet cough of laughter at finding commiseration in the unlikeliest of places. "Thank you," she said softly.  
  
Carmilla nodded in acknowledgement. "Come on," she said, her hands moving to Laura's arms and tugging her upward. "Let's get you to bed."  
  
Laura allowed herself to be pulled to her feet, though only Carmilla's grip kept her there, emotional exhaustion teaming up with the already present physical variety to try and knock her senseless. "God, do I even have time for that before classes, anymore?"  
  
"You're taking tomorrow off," Carmilla informed her. Dimly, she was aware that she should be objecting to that - and she _definitely_ should object to Carmilla helping undress her - but she simply didn't have any energy left; she was utterly drained. "Whatever Xena did, she should feel guilty enough to cover for you."  
  
Laura could only manage a disgruntled noise at the mention of Danny... then realized to her surprise that she was somehow already in bed. When had that happened?  
  
"Well, that's what I was saying about her all along," Carmilla said, smirking. "Get some sleep, Cutie."  
  
"...stay?"  
  
Carmilla froze. "Excuse me?" she asked with the air of someone who'd just heard the ice underneath her start cracking.  
  
Laura tugged weakly at her with one trembling hand. "Cold." She was, too; she was so wrung out she couldn't feel anything... except the hand that was touching Carmilla.  
  
Carmilla hesitated, looking more uncertain that Laura had ever seen her. In another time and place, she might have enjoyed the sight. Now, though... "If you're sure..." she said slowly.  
  
Oddly, she was. Yes, Carmilla was a vampire. Yes, she might want to eat and/or kidnap her. But Laura was in desperate need of the comforting she seemed uncharacteristically willing to provide. She simply didn't have the energy to be afraid of her. "You won't have to steal my pillow this way," she offered, voice barely even a whisper.  
  
Carmilla chuckled, seemingly despite herself, and slid under the covers next to Laura, settling an arm around her and pulling her close. "What am I going to do with you?" she murmured.  
  
She didn't get an answer. Laura drifted off to sleep almost immediately, for the first time all day feeling... safe.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.  
  


* * *

  
  
Laura woke up slowly the following morning.  
  
She still felt somewhat tired, but it was at least at a level that enough sugar would be able to allow her to function more-or-less normally. Still, for a long while, she didn't move, just laying there until she could work up the effort to look at the clock. Upon doing so, she learned that it was well past noon; clearly, she'd needed more sleep than she'd thought. Still, checking the time had taken a bit more work than it really should have.  
  
Right about then, she became aware of the warmth against her back, and the arm securely draped across her stomach. A warm breath tickled her neck.  
  
Someone was in bed _with_ her?! Who? She knew people barged in at all hours, but the only one who was usually there that late, aside from herself, was... Carmilla...  
  
 _Ohholycrapfuckballsdamndamndamn!_  
  
Vampire! There was a _vampire sleeping next to her!_ What was Carmilla even _doing_ in her bed?! Too scared to move, Laura tried to see if she could feel any bites anywhere on her body. Nothing, but that didn't necessarily mean anything. Okay, calm, be calm, she just needed to think. Seduction eyes were one thing, but this...  
  
 _Wait..._  
  
The events of last night came flooding back. Danny. The Summer Society. The magic. The lies. Carmilla's rare display of compassion. And... her asking Carmilla to stay with her.  
  
The tension and fear slowly drained from her body, replaced with chagrin. Carmilla was there because she'd all but begged her to be. Moreover, she'd actually _stayed_. She could have left once Laura was finally asleep, but she hadn't. And she evidently hadn't even snuck a bite, despite having a perfect opportunity to do so. Laura felt oddly guilty, despite knowing that her suspicions had been entirely justified.  
  
Her phone started ringing.  
  
Cursing silently, Laura hastily grabbed for it, the arm around her middle tightening lightly even as Carmilla made a sleepy sound and burrowed closer against her neck.  
  
It took Laura a moment to flip open her phone and hold it up to her ear. In her defense, though, she was pretty sure her brain had just short-circuited for a second, there. "Ah, hello?"  
  
"Laura?"  
  
"Danny." Just what she _didn't_ need right then. "What's up?"  
  
"What's- Laura, you tore out of here last night, pretty much vanished, and haven't shown up for any classes today. Are you _okay_?"  
  
She considered the question carefully. "Not sure, yet," she admitted. "Working on it, though."  
  
She could hear Danny swallowing multiple apologies, but couldn't quite be moved by it. "Laura, that painting... It's very old," she said instead. "It's probably looked like a _lot_ of people over the years. And you were _really_ tired..."  
  
That... was true, Laura conceded. "And everything else?"  
  
Danny sighed. "I don't know, Laura. And I don't think we'll manage to figure it out unless you come back."  
  
Which she wasn't ready to do, yet. "I'll... keep that in mind."  
  
"Okay." She didn't sound happy about it, though. "Where are you, anyway?"  
  
"My dorm room."  
  
"Alone?" Danny asked, sharply.  
  
Despite all the evidence, and despite Danny having no way to know what had happened last night, her attitude prickled. "No," Laura said shortly. "Carmilla's here. Still asleep, for now."  
  
Maybe. The hand resting on her stomach was idly tracing random patterns, and one leg crept over hers, as if to hold her in place. Her pulse picked up, but she didn't say anything, not wanting to trigger an invasion by the Summers.  
  
"Are you okay?"  
  
"You already asked me that," Laura pointed out, trying not to snap. "Again, yes." The breathing against her neck was becoming more deliberate, and it was getting distracting. "Look, I just... I need some time to think, and process everything, okay?"  
  
Danny exhaled slowly. "Yeah, I... I get that. And... I _am_ sorry."  
  
"I know." What, exactly, she was sorry for, Laura didn't know. She didn't have a chance to figure it out, either, because the wandering hand had slipped under her shirt to trail a finger over her bare stomach, and Carmilla _licked her neck_ , utterly derailing her train of thought. "Ghrrk!"  
  
"Laura?" Danny asked, understandably confused and alarmed by the nonsense sound she'd made.  
  
 _Oh, no. No, no, no._ She was not having this conversation while Carmilla was doing things like **that** to her. "Carmilla's awake, gotta go, call you later," she said in a rush, stabbing at the disconnect button a few times to manage to actually hit it, then tossing her phone aside. "...how long have you been awake?"  
  
"Oh, since the phone rang," Carmilla breathed into her ear, sending a spasm of lust through her body. Her brain was sending increasingly alarmed messages about how letting a vampire with unknown intentions feel her up was a bad thing, but her body just didn't _care_ about things like that. Whatever her personal faults, the fact remained that Carmilla was really, really hot, and it was getting hard to focus past that.  
  
Still, she had to at least _try_... "Thank you, by the way. For staying. I know you didn't have to."  
  
"It was hardly an imposition." Teeth closed gently around her earlobe, and Laura had to work very hard to restrain a moan.  
  
God, this was so _bad_... but felt so _**good**_... "I... um..." She tried to pull away, but Carmilla didn't let go, and as strong as she was, Laura wasn't going anywhere. "I'm feeling... better... now, though..."  
  
"Oh, I can make you feel _much_ better than this..." Carmilla promised, her voice low and darkly seductive. Laura believed her, too: If she allowed this to happen, she had no doubt that Carmilla could bring her to heights of pleasure she'd never even imagined, before. Yet...  
  
"I'm not one of your study buddies," she pointed out, though the way she was trying not to start panting wasn't helping her case. "If they're anything to judge by, I'm _really_ not your type."  
  
"It is something of a cliché," Carmilla agreed, Laura clenching her sheets tightly in one hand at the feeling of Carmilla whispering into her ear. Such a little thing, but it was driving her senses insane. "Naïve, provincial girl... Entirely too tightly wound." Then she abruptly _moved_ , suddenly straddling Laura's hips as the girl struggled to figure out just when she'd wound up on her back. "And yet, there's something about you..."  
  
The girl... woman... _vampire_... smoldering down at her was making it so hard to think... "Maybe it's my keen fashion sense?" she offered weakly. She was starting to have a little trouble remembering just why this was such a bad idea.  
  
Carmilla paused for a moment, as if considering. "No, it's definitely not that," she drawled. Dimly, Laura thought she probably should have been insulted by that... and then Carmilla kissed her, and thought went away for a while.  
  
The old saying 'practice makes perfect' certainly seemed accurate in this case, Laura would later decide, as Carmilla was _**very** _ good at this. Her lips lead Laura's as if in a dance, hands wandering, caressing, squeezing. Laura would admit - if pressed - that she didn't have a lot of experience, but nobody had **ever** kissed her the way Carmilla was: as much a work of art as an act of passion. She couldn't stop herself from making a quiet whimper when the vampire pulled away. "Sorry," Carmilla said in a voice that did not at all sound it. "But like you said, you're not one of my study buddies." Her smile became wicked, and full of promises. "Not that I kiss any of _them_ like that..."  
  
For a minute or so, Laura just stared up at her, brain misfiring as she struggled mightily for some kind of rational thought. "That's..." she rasped, then coughed and tried again. "Th-that's good. I..." She took a deep breath, rallying as best she could, despite taking in so much of Carmilla's seductive scent. (Since when had she noticed that?) "I don't want... just a fling," she managed. "If you really wanted to be with me... I need something serious. Something **real**. If you don't think you can be that, then..."  
  
Carmilla was still giving her that willpower-crumbling look, still straddling her waist. If she decided she wanted to ravish Laura then and there... Laura didn't think she'd be able to resist. She could probably try and push for a relationship afterward, but...  
  
Fortunately, Carmilla must have respected her more than she usually let on, because she slid gracefully off of her, striding toward her own bed. "I suppose that's fair," she commented in her silky smooth voice, sending one last twinge of lust through Laura's body.  
  
Once that passed, Laura focused on slowing her breathing to something approaching a normal rate. What had almost just happened?! Carmilla was a vampire! And a kidnapper... maybe... And Laura had been about two seconds away from giving in completely. And that was with Carmilla barely even doing anything. Sure, she'd still been somewhat vulnerable from last night, but if Carmilla ever decided to put some _serious_ effort into seducing her... Well, she'd _have_ her, and she was pretty sure they both knew it.  
  
Yet... she **had** stopped. She'd respected Laura's wishes and withdrew. That mattered to her. A lot. Combined with last night, it gave her the courage to ask, "So... what do you know about the Summer Society, anyway?"  
  
Carmilla, who had been looking through her wardrobe - well, _Betty's_ wardrobe, but whatever - paused and looked back at her. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, you've been here longer than I have," she began. Longer than every other student on campus combined, probably. "You must have heard some things about them."  
  
"People do talk," Carmilla allowed, still studying her. "I'm not one of them, though. Why not ask Big Red?"  
  
"Because she apparently _can't_ answer my questions," Laura replied, voice clipped. Granted, Danny _had_ answered some - and seemed surprised that she'd been able to - but that thought carried with it implications that Laura wasn't ready to deal with, yet. So she'd leave aside her somewhat hazy recollections of that odd room, for the time being.  
  
"Ah." Carmilla straightened up. She knew what Laura was talking about, then. "She must trust you, to let you know even that much. Why come running back here in tears, then?"  
  
She supposed that was a fair enough question... even if it involved elements she didn't want to think about, yet. "There was... a painting," she said slowly. "With my luck, it only looked sort of like my mother, and I flipped out on them for no reason." Oh, who was she kidding? With her luck, she'd seen _exactly_ what she thought she'd seen, and would have many, **_many_ ** issues to deal with as a result. But that was later... as later as she could manage. "Who founded them, anyway? Danny wouldn't - or couldn't - tell me. There wasn't as much Greek imagery as a quasi-sorority with Athena on their poster seems like it should have..."  
  
"Pretty sure they didn't design that poster themselves," Carmilla said, studying her closely. "They're pretty insular; don't like talking about themselves to outsiders, if it can be at all avoided."  
  
"I guess you and Elsie found some common ground on that front," Laura remarked, not that she felt in any way jealous or anything, nope, not her.  
  
 _This is **so** bad..._  
  
Carmilla raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't look displeased. "Not really, no. Not that thing went very far with her at all before she vanished."  
  
It was the first time Carmilla had brought up the disappearances unprompted. Laura carefully didn't draw attention to that. Instead, she asked, "So, you didn't get... zapped, if you kissed her?"  
  
Carmilla blinked. "No..." she said slowly.  
  
"So, that's something that only happens to me. Of course it is."  
  
"With Xena?" And now it was Carmilla who sounded totally-not-at-all jealous.  
  
Laura had to admit, that did perk up her self-esteem a bit. "Which brings us back to the 'what do you know about the Summer Society?' question."  
  
"They can be rather arrogant and self-righteous, when they want to be."  
  
Probably true, at least in some cases. Sighing, she uselessly wished she could just make Carmilla tell her the truth, or at least do what Mel had been doing last night.  
  
She... couldn't do that, though.  
  
Could she?  
  
She frowned, trying to remember what she'd felt when Mel had been questioning her. It had been a sort of... humming chime in the air, hadn't it? Like a tuning fork. She could picture that in her mind, the vibrating tines filling the air with energy that would let her _know_ if she was being lied to.  
  
She didn't even notice the slight warmth in her chest, or the inaudible music in her mind spreading outward.  
  
"Does it bother you that she's missing?" she asked randomly, sounding distracted.  
  
"Not really."  
  
A blip. Not a strong one, but... "It does," she realized softly. "Are you involved in the kidnappings?" Really, what did she have to lose by asking?  
  
Carmilla whirled around, closet forgotten. "Excuse me?" she demanded.  
  
"Are you involved in the kidnappings?" she repeated. This was such a long shot, but...  
  
"What the hell kind of question is that?"  
  
"An important one." She felt oddly calm. "Are you involved with the kidnappings?" she asked for a third time... and felt an odd, shivering sensation as she did so. Third time was the charm?  
  
It certainly seemed so, because Carmilla looked very unhappy, but nevertheless answered, "No, I'm not."  
  
Laura waited, but there wasn't even a microscopic blip at that. If she was (somehow) doing what she thought she was... Carmilla was telling her the truth. She relaxed, letting out the breath she'd been holding, and stopped doing... whatever she had been. "Okay."  
  
"Really? That's it? Just ask me, and done?" Carmilla challenged, eyes narrowed.  
  
"You were telling me the truth," Laura said with a shrug. "I could tell."  
  
Carmilla was silent for a long minute, just staring at her. "...okay, then."  
  
"I don't know _how_ I did it," Laura said uncomfortably. She had suspicions, but... Well, that would mean admitting that maybe, just maybe, the Summers hadn't been lying, after all. And that thought just _hurt_. "I just... did."  
  
Slowly, gradually, Carmilla relaxed. "I believe you," she said finally. "I doubt you could lie about something like that even if you wanted to."  
  
"...thank you?"  
  
Carmilla snorted, and things abruptly went back to normal.  
  
"You never did answer me, you know," Laura pointed out. "About their Founder."  
  
"I don't know who it was, exactly," Carmilla said with a shrug. Abandoning any idea of finding new clothes for the time being, she moved over to her own bed and sat down. "The most popular story was that it was Queen Titania."  
  
Laura froze. "Titania? The... faerie queen? From Shakespeare?"  
  
" _A_ faerie Queen," Carmilla corrected. "The Queen of the Summer Court. Thus, the Summer Society. Or so some stories would have you believe."  
  
"Titania," Laura said again, slowly, struggling to get that to make sense. Vampires and faeries and magic being real was one thing. Not an easy thing to accept, but something that could reliably be proven. A specific character that she'd always taken to be fictional, on the other hand? That was another matter entirely.  
  
"William generally was a lot more on the ball than most people gave him credit for, even if he did embellish a lot."  
  
Laura blinked. "You knew him?"  
  
Carmilla tensed. "Excuse me?"  
  
She really was a terrible liar.  
  
"I know you're a vampire," Laura assured her. "It's okay."  
  
Carmilla... seemed to be having trouble with that statement. "It... is?"  
  
"Oddly enough? Yes." She pointed a finger at Carmilla and playfully added, "No biting, though. I don't know you well enough to be comfortable with that, yet."  
  
"...yet, huh?"  
  
Laura blushed. Just a little.  
  
That seemed to be enough to let Carmilla recenter herself. "Well... This day is turning out to be all kinds of interesting, isn't it?"  
  
Laura couldn't stop a quick laugh. "Tell me about it. Anyway, do you really think Ti-"  
  
"Laura."  
  
Laura blinked, both at the interruption and Carmilla again using her actual name. "Um..."  
  
"I know you're trying to understand things, but if I were you, I wouldn't say that name a third time unless I were prepared to deal with the consequences."  
  
"Consequences?"  
  
"Best case? You send out a supernatural ping that might just attract her attention. Worst case, you summon her... and pray that she's in a good mood."  
  
Laura swallowed. "I could... summon her?" she asked slowly.  
  
"You could try, if you wanted to. Though I don't know why you would."  
  
"...can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Yes..." Carmilla darted a look over at Laura's desk. "Is that thing off?"  
  
To her surprise, Laura honestly couldn't remember if she'd left the camera running or not. A quick look confirmed that not only was it off, so was her computer. "Yeah. I shut it off before I left yesterday."  
  
"Good. That thing's far more trouble than it's worth."  
  
Just then, Laura wasn't sure she disagreed.  
  
"So...?"  
  
"So." Laura took a deep breath. "I might, at some point, want to summon- er, the Queen..."  
  
It was surprising how much thinking about this hurt.  
  
"...because if that painting I saw was at all accurate..."  
  
She honestly wasn't sure how she even felt about this. Couldn't even say if she wanted it to be true or not.  
  
"...I think she might be my mother."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** To prevent confusion, I should make clear that Laura mentions Shakespeare because that's the only reference she knows off the top of her head, especially just then. In terms of the Fae, this would be a lot closer to the _Dresden Files_ , but is NOT a crossover. (Which is good, as any readers of that series know, because there would be no way to make blood drinking Carmilla at all compatible.) You'll see what I mean - or not - as I go on. It won't really affect anything, I just didn't want any disappointed readers waiting for cameos from other _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ characters that would never come. :)

* * *

There was a long silence.

Carmilla had gone still in a way that, had she still held any doubts, would have immediately convinced Laura that she was a vampire; nothing human could freeze in place like that so completely. Laura kept watching her because she really didn't want to dwell on her own thoughts for too long. Or at all.

"...your mother."

"...possibly. Maybe."

Carmilla frowned. "You told me that your mother was dead." She'd been far too hysterical about it to be lying.

"That's what my dad always told me!" Laura defended. "She even has a grave! I visit it sometimes, to... to talk to her." She hugged herself. "I can't remember if he ever said what she died _of_ , though. Just that she... had to go away."

"Well, for your sake, I hope the Summer Queen _isn't_ your mom," Carmilla said, shaking her head. "I don't pay much attention to even human politics, let alone those of Faerie, but I wouldn't wish that particular headache on anyone."

"Great," Laura muttered, gaze dropping to the floor.

Carmilla shifted, uncomfortable. She felt sorry for the girl, and couldn't quite remember how to deal with such emotions. "Oh, chin up, Cutie," she offered. "Even if she is your mother, I think you'd need to actually _accept_ those responsibilities first."

Well, that was something, anyway, Laura decided. Not much, but better than nothing. _If_ it was true, of course. "There's... There's got to be a better way to find out than just summoning her and asking." Because that way, if she investigated and the evidence suggested that she was Laura's mother, it would be possible that she'd gotten something wrong, that she _was_ wrong. Just a flat-out, yes or no question? Then she'd _know_ , because even she knew the Fae couldn't lie. And she didn't think she could handle that. Even thinking about it, about _knowing_ , one way or another, made her start shaking.

Yet...

There was a part of her - the scared, sad, hurting little girl that she'd once been - that hoped her Mom _was_ still alive.

"That would be just my luck, really," Carmilla sighed. "Winding up with the long-lost Seelie princess as a roommate." She didn't go into detail as to why.

"Seelie?" That wasn't a term Laura was familiar with, and she instantly latched onto that fact, rather than risk connecting it to herself.

She was not at all ready to even try wrapping her mind around the 'princess' part of that statement.

"I'm hardly an expert, but as I understand it... The Seelie Court are, basically, the 'good' ones. Warmer, more caring... That sort of thing. They're typically are more nurturing of mortals, but that's not always true. They are associated with the element of fire. Their lands in Faerie are bright, sunny, warm, and lush with vegetation. Most of the lesser creatures of Summer are typically not malicious, but can seem so when they involve themselves in mortal affairs." She paused. "But don't start thinking it's as simple as 'Seelie are good, Unseelie are bad'. Life doesn't work that way."

Another new term... but this time, she was distracted from her emotional state enough to pick up on the context. "Winter," she murmured. That painting in the Summer Society house suddenly made a lot more sense.

"Who typically are every bit as cold and merciless as they sound," Carmilla warned. "You should avoid them no matter _whose_ daughter you are." Another pause. "Really, you'd do well to avoid the Fae altogether. Oh, they can't tell a direct lie, sure, but they're masters of twisting words in order to convey falsehoods without actually lying. They're strictly concerned with the wording rather than the intent of agreements and will specifically place loopholes in them which they can exploit. Unless you're damned good at it, entering into any kind of bargain with one of them, Summer **or** Winter, will go _very_ badly for you."

Avoiding the whole matter sounded like a _fantastic_ idea as far as Laura was concerned. Sadly, she didn't think that was going to be an option. Not in the long run, anyway.

In the short term, however...

"Okay, then," Laura said agreeably. "Let's talk about you."

"Come again?"

"Can't really come _again_ if I never came the first time," she blurted out before her mind caught up with her mouth.

Carmilla gave her a wicked smile. "Only because you insisted we stop," she countered, voice dripping with faux-innocence.

Yes, she had, and her body was still unhappy with her for that, it seemed. "You know, if I really am so associated with fire, are you sure getting me hot is the best idea?"

Carmilla laughed. "Touché," she allowed, though she didn't seem terribly concerned, which was actually reassuring.

She didn't start opening up about herself, though.

"Oh, come on," Laura wheedled, when it became clear that wasn't about to change. "I told you about my issues when you asked..." Carmilla frowned, not denying that, but not saying anything, either. "Look... What were you _doing_ at all those parties, if you're not involved in the kidnappings? How do you know _all_ of the missing girls?" Subtle tension shifted in the vampire's jawline, various responses seemingly being discarded before they ever made it to her lips. "Come on, tell me your side of the story."

"My side of the story?" Carmilla echoed, an inscrutable look on her face. She thought about that for a long moment... then finally gave in. "Alright, then," she said with a sigh. "Buckle up, Creampuff. We're gonna be in for a long night." She paused, then corrected, "Or, you know, Wednesday afternoon."

The prospect of finally getting some real, solid answers (that wouldn't involve a potential massive identity crisis for her) had Laura leaping to her feet and all but skipping to her computer. "Oh, absolutely not," Carmilla objected as she realized what Laura intended to do.

"It's an important part of the story!" Laura replied as her computer hummed through start-up. "Besides, I'm not the only one who needs to be convinced, especially if we want to avoid them employing... vastly less polite means of getting information out of you." She shrugged. "Somehow, I don't think they'd accept me _knowing_ you weren't guilty due to theoretical magical powers that I just _happened_ to develop _just now_ , you know?"

Carmilla snorted, but didn't argue the point. It was clear that, however jokingly she mentioned it, her magic - and what she might do with it that she didn't know about, yet - was distressing her. As such, Carmilla only put up a token resistance when prompted to take the seat next to her.

Still, when the camera was actually turned on, she couldn't help but comment, "Your need to document everything borders the pathological."

Not wanting to bring her own issues on camera - they had nothing to do with the abductions, after all; if that changed, then she'd revisit the matter - Laura simply replied, as brightly as she could manage just then, "Think of it as being for posterity."

"Posterity doesn't care," Carmilla promptly countered. "I should know, I live in it."

She decided not to touch that one. "Alright, well, this is your chance," she said instead. "Tell us your story. Convince me and the folks at home that you didn't guzzle Betty like a Slurpee."

Carmilla shot her a look that said, quite plainly, ' _I'm not doing this for the folks at home_ '. Before Laura could figure out how to react to that, she spoke aloud. "I was born Mircalla, daughter of the Count Karnstein in Styria, a duchy of Austria, in 1680." She looked as happy to be talking about her history as Laura had been to think about her mother being faerie royalty. "Austria was embroiled in the great war against the Ottoman Empire, but such things meant little to a wealthy girl. When I was eighteen, I attended a ball, where I was murdered-"

"Murdered?!" Laura interrupted, surprised. "Who-o-oaaa, you can't tell it like that, like some boring history lesson! This is dangerous! This is exciting!" Carmilla was looking increasingly incredulous. It only got worse when Laura gleefully declared, "This is _flashback material_! I know exactly what we need." She paused the recording, then bounced out of her chair, hands clasped in front of her. What would just be _perfect_ would be-

Without warning, a wooden frame with red curtains inside the arch just... appeared in the corner. It even had a heart, complete with a tiny crown, engraved on it. Laying on the ground nearby were several sock puppets.

Laura froze.

For a good minute, nothing moved in the dorm room. Caught between shock and horror, Laura could only stare, transfixed. She might have been able to write off knowing Carmilla had been telling her the truth before as intuition, or being a good judge of character. This, though... This was undeniable proof.

She wasn't quite... human. She never had been.

"I... I wasn't even trying..." Even to Carmilla, the words were barely audible.

That, the vampire decided, could not possibly be a good sign. Conjuring things up without a thought? God only knew what could happen if she _did_ try. Setting such (valid) concerns aside for the time being, though, she rose to her feet and stepped over to Laura. "Cupcake, look at me." Laura didn't react. She wasn't sure the girl was even hearing her. "Look at **me** ," she said again, grabbing her shoulder and forcibly turning her away to face her. The blonde looked like she was going into shock. "It doesn't matter."

Laura gave a weak laugh that said she was about two seconds away from having hysterics. "Doesn't- Are you...?"

"It _**doesn't matter**_ ," she repeated firmly, pulling her into a hug. "What you can do is not who you are."

"Easy for _you_ to say..."

"Only because I've had centuries to deal." She swallowed. "I did... not react well, in the beginning. I had to adapt, though. _Or else_. That was made quite clear to me." She couldn't stop a slight shudder, remembering that conversation.

That, more than anything else, managed to break through Laura's state of shock. "Wha- Huh? By whom?"

"Tell you what. Pull yourself together, start that damned camera of yours back up, and I'll tell you."

"In a minute," Laura decided, settling more comfortably into the hug.

It was closer to five minutes, but neither was objecting.

When the camera was going again, Laura said only, "Sorry, couldn't find any puppets. Continue, please." They'd switched chairs, and Laura kept her eye solely on Carmilla, ignoring the puppet show gear in the corner as best she could.

"Oh, darn," Carmilla said dryly. "And I so would have enjoyed you making light of my tragic backstory, too..."

Laura buried a guilty wince.

" _Anyway_... Mother raised me."

"Mother?" Laura repeated, confused. One of the few things Carmilla had previously said about her past was that she'd had a loving relationship with her mother. That wasn't being reflected in her words now.

"Not my birth mother," Carmilla clarified, "but the mother I knew after death. That was what she insisted we call her."

Laura twitched ever-so-slightly. _We?_

Carmilla's eyes said to leave it alone, for now. "I knew nothing of her," she continued, "except that she was very old, and very wise, and had pried apart the jaws of death to enact my rescue."

"And who shoved you _into_ those jaws?" Laura asked, very quietly.

She almost smiled. Almost. "In her mind, she was saving me. As a human, I would have had a dull, meaningless existence, a spark briefly flickering against the blackness of eternity before it was gone. This was centuries before Women's Liberation was even a concept, don't forget. I would have been married off to some noble, expected to be a dutiful wife and mother, and nothing else. But thanks to her... The wide world opened before me in death as it never had - never could have - in life." She allowed herself a faint chuckle, remembering. "We danced in the mirrored halls of Versailles. We watched the stars whirl over seas no man had named. We saw the birth of a new world in science and philosophy and revolution. Every night was a grand ball... a hunt... a feast." She sighed. "But every twenty years we would return here and perform a strange ritual."

Laura, caught up in the story, was abruptly jerked back to the present. "Um... What?"

"Mother would arrange for me to, uh, meet a young girl. I'd be abandoned at a ball, or there'd be a carriage wreck and some kind stranger and his ward, like a niece or daughter, would be gallant enough to take me in." It was obvious they'd gotten to the part of the story Carmilla did _not_ enjoy thinking of. "Pretty soon, she and I would become fast friends. Inseparable. But, of course, my new friend would fall ill. I think you recognize the symptoms: strange behavior, weakness of the mind. And before long, it would be time to rejoin my mother in search of my next friend."

Laura eyed her. "So, the part where you're _not_ involved in the kidnappings...?"

"I-I was never an abductor," Carmilla replied. "I was a lure." She sighed quietly. "And that's how I met Elle." She paused, apparently needing a moment before she could go on. "It was 1872, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art had just opened in New York, and... I wanted more than anything to sail to see it. But Maman insisted." Her hand clenched into a fist out of sight of the camera. Laura wanted to take hold of it, to try and return the comfort Carmilla had offered her before, but had to remind herself that if she did, that grip could easily reduce her bones to powder. "The game started off the same: carriage wreck, promise of shelter, fast friendship... Only this time, nothing was a lie."

She was starting to regret pushing Carmilla to tell her story. "Carm," she began, but the vampire held up a hand to forestall her concern.

"When the time came to take Elle to my mother," she continued as if Laura hadn't spoken, "I... I couldn't bear to give her up. So I planned our escape and went ahead to make preparations. But, um, when the time came for Elle to meet me, disaster struck. I had... taken great lengths to hide what I was from her. But Maman went to her in secret and revealed my true nature in the most horrifying light." Even after so long, she couldn't help but start sounding choked up as she added, "Elle believed me to be a monster, and lead Maman to where I waited." Laura wanted to speak up, to make sure Carmilla knew that wasn't true, but she wasn't given the chance. "And so, the price for my disobedience was to watch Elle be taken away to some certain doom... and to be sealed in a coffin of blood, so that I may waste away my long centuries in the dark."

Laura took a chance, reaching out and wrapping her hand around Carmilla's. She sensed the other girl wouldn't allow anything more, not until the story was finished.

The gesture earned her a ghostly flicker of a smile, there and gone so quickly she'd need to go back and slow down the footage from her camera to take in any details about it. "For decades, I rotted under the earth. And then the war came. The last great war of the modern world, that rent the earth with tanks and mines and bombs. So my punishment came to an end and I limped off the battlefield in Austria to greet the Twentieth Century." How much of a shock _that_ must have been, she didn't say.

Not to mention... Limped? Though, a bomb going off close enough to unseal a coffin that a supernaturally strong vampire couldn't get out of _would_ be likely to cause serious injury... which would only have made things worse for her. How long would it have taken for her ears to stop ringing alone?

Laura had no idea... and didn't like thinking about it. How Carmilla was sounding even as calm as she was...

"Maman found me in Paris in the 1950s and didn't have the heart to reinter me." She swallowed hard, and an edge of self-mockery crept into her voice as she went on. "I was of more use here, where the details had changed, but the game had not. I was to meet girls and make friends, and see to it that the blossoms were ready to be plucked when Maman decided."

"So, you went right back to abducting girls." Yet she was _sure_ that Carmilla had been telling the truth before.

"No, I pretended to go along," Carmilla replied. "I didn't have a choice. But I ruined opportunities wherever possible. I sent girls fleeing back to the safety of mothers and fathers and fallback schools." She allowed herself a small, vicious smile. "There can be... great satisfaction in small revenges." She shook her head. "I never knew what use Maman had for the girls. She never quite... trusted me enough to tell me, I suppose. It was always a secret that she'd kept from me, but I could afford to bide my time, so I watched and I waited... until I learned what I had truly been part of all along." She grimaced, quietly adding, "What I had betrayed Elle to, before she betrayed me."

Laura squeezed her hand, knowing better than to touch on that subject just yet. She decided to focus on something else. "So, you've been helping girls escape."

"When I can."

"Did you help Betty?"

"Didn't get the chance."

She didn't like the implications of that. Still, if only for the camera, she had to say it aloud. "So, someone that she knew, someone that she thought was her friend, was really a vampire targeting her... and they took her for your mother."

"Yes."

"Okay, so..." They could deal with this. They could _**so**_ deal with this. "We find your mother and we get our friends back." All they had to do was fill in the missing steps to that plan, such as... an actual plan.

Carmilla was clearly thinking along the same lines. "No. She would scoop out your eyeballs and serve them in martinis if you tried."

"But..." Her eyes drifted over to the puppet show gear she'd _willed_ into being.

"No," Carmilla repeated, her voice taking on a distinct tone of warning. Once Laura refocused on her, she continued, "You'd better think twice before suggesting _anything_. I suppose your camera captured some of the things I can do?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"A vampire's abilities grow with age. I'm only a little over three hundred years old. I wasn't exaggerating even the slightest bit when I called Maman _very old_. Ancient might even fall short. You and all of your friends would get swatted like a fly. Hell, Mattie's over twelve hundred, and even she wouldn't last two seconds in a direct fight."

Laura took the warning for what it was, Carmilla stating as plainly as she could while on camera that magic, however powerful, wouldn't help at all if she didn't have the slightest idea how to use it. However, she couldn't help but be somewhat distracted from the main point. "Mattie?"

Carmilla waved off the question. "Later," she said flatly. She then smirked, ever-so-faintly, as she added, "Besides, you're _already_ terrified of her."

Laura frowned, confused. "Already? What do you mean, 'already'? I've never met your mom."

"Yeah, you have," Carmilla disagreed. "She's the Dean."

Laura momentarily froze, taking that in... then cursed. "Fuuuuucccck..."

Carmilla smirked again, far more noticeably. "Well, _that's_ going to require some editing..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

The Dean. They were going up against _the Dean_.

The Dean of Silas University had been scary enough when Laura had only thought she was six feet of power-suited middle-aged Glamazon. Learning that she was actually a God-knows-how-old ancient vampire, whose powers and abilities had grown with her years...

Well, she might need to edit her profanity out of the video, but she felt entirely justified in using it.

"And let me guess," she said, fighting the urge to bury her face in her hands. "A vampire's weaknesses _decrease_ with age, don't they?"

"In some ways, yes," Carmilla answered, shrugging. "Obviously, sunlight isn't one of them at all, except in terms of eyes adapted for night hunting not liking it. Neither is garlic, running water-"

"Wait, what?" Laura interrupted. Running water? What was _that_ about?

"There's an old superstition about how, since water is supposedly purifying, it can impede or dissolve unholy forces," Carmilla explained. "It's about as ridiculous as that nonsense with the mirrors, probably started by some vampires as a way to 'prove' they weren't ones."

"Huh."

"Yeah. Crosses and the like... If they're blessed, and if the person holding them really _believes_... They can at least slow a vampire down. Provided they don't have anything to throw at you, that is."

Laura, picturing a fastball with vampiric strength behind it, winced.

"Holy water is kind of like acid. Painful, but not fatal, unless you're submerged in it and trapped there. And since I think you'd have trouble finding someone around here to bless the swimming pool... Well, a vampire in that kind of pain is a vampire who's about to introduce you to your spleen."

There was a pleasant thought. "What about fire?" If she _was_ in any way connected to the Summer Court, that would evidently be her element.

"Oh, fire will kill us off well enough, alright," Carmilla agreed. "It's not an instantaneous thing, though, and it's still _fire_. It can get out of control all too easily." Translation: No playing Charlie McGee until you figure out what you're doing.

And the only ones she knew of who could teach her were Danny and the Summer Society. Fantastic. At least she'd stopped recording after Carmilla's bombshell (not wanting to have to do any more editing), so they wouldn't see the reluctance on her face when she thought of it. "Right. Okay... One thing at a time. Fighting the Dean and her legion of vampires-" She broke off and cast an inquisitive look at Carmilla.

She understood the silent question easily enough. "'Legion' would imply thousands. I don't have an exact count, but I doubt it's beyond the twenty to thirty range."

"Well, that's slightly more manageable," Laura decided. If only in terms of wrapping her mind around the concept. "Anyway, fighting them can wait until after we figure out just what resources we have at our disposal." Which _would_ mean training, so she'd have to also figure out a way to keep that from being noticed. "Before we can do _that_ , though, I need to make sure they don't see _any_ of my videos from now on." Keeping them from being directly traced back to her or setting off any security responses was one thing. They were still fully viewable by the public. How to keep doing that, while hiding them from the Dean and her minions... That was the trick.

"I'd appreciate that," Carmilla said dryly. "She's already upset with me for dragging my feet with you. If she found out I told you all this..."

Laura winced again... then froze. "Wait, so... That time she came looking for you..."

" _You_ were the situation she was talking about, yes."

Her eyes widened. "You were..." So she'd been right to suspect Carmilla's involvement and to question her intentions, but completely wrong in her conclusions. Carmilla had been _supposed_ to reel her in, but instead... "Then... the mess, the insults, the general attitude... That was all... deliberate? You were _trying_ to make me leave... to save me?"

"Trying." A shrug. "Failing."

"And..." A chill went up her spine. "Do, um, do we have a timetable on when your 'mom' might decide to step in and take care of... _things_... herself?"

Carmilla was silent for a long few moments. "She hasn't exactly been unaware of my general level of discontent," she said carefully. "As long as I don't step over any lines, she mostly overlooks it. You being so stubborn and dragging this out is seriously pushing that. I honestly don't know how much more it will take before she sends someone else to take care of you, after which she'd likely... chastise me."

"And... if she found out about the whole...?" She waved her hand toward the puppet show gear she'd conjured up, still refusing to actually look at it. If she really was... Well, that would take her off the menu, right? "Danny thought Elsie had been chosen due to her lack of any magic. If that's a factor..."

"Maman's never said anything really specific about whether anyone chosen as a sacrifice having magic would be bad or not. If she found out she couldn't use you, and you might present any kind of threat... She'd just kill you before that could happen."

Fortunately, she was already sitting down, as that likely would have made her legs collapse out from under her. "...Terrific," she said faintly. She shook her head, pulling herself together as best she could. "Okay, so... Time crunch on learning to defend myself." Because she'd really needed _more_ homework. "Then, we start working on figuring out who or what she's sacrificing the girls **to**. Disrupting that might be easier than taking your Mom and her minions on in a straight-up fight."

" _Anything_ would be easier than that," Carmilla said flatly.

"So... I'd better call Danny and get this started." And try and keep her from asking any questions about the end of their last phone call, or what followed it.

"If you're going to be heading out there, you might want to be wearing that charm I gave you," Carmilla told her seriously.

Oh. Right. That. In all the excitement, Laura had completely forgotten about the bizarre bracelet Carmilla had given her, despite it being what had kicked off the paranoia that had driven her to the Summer Society. With a mildly sheepish expression, she retrieved it from underneath Carmilla's mattress - ignoring the vampire's muttered "Of course," as she did - and sat back down. "So, what does it do, exactly?" she asked as she handed it to Carmilla to help her put it on. "I thought I was imagining it before, but... I can definitely sense _something_ coming from it."

"That's why you weren't wearing it?" At Laura's nod, Carmilla exhaled, seemingly releasing some tension as she did so. Had she thought Laura just hadn't liked it, or had refused to wear it because of who'd given it to her? That was potentially interesting... though, she would admit, that Carmilla had given it to her _had_ played some part in her decision, before. "It makes you feel off to vampires. Like you're leaking radiation. Like if I touched you, I might feel off. It might persuade them to move on to someone else." She paused. "Never heard of it repelling the Fae, before, though evidently anyone sensitive to magic will at least notice it if they get close enough." She finished securing it to Laura's wrist.

The pulsing sensation was still there, but now that she knew what it was, it didn't feel so bad at all. That was interesting.

Setting that thought aside for the moment, she studied Carmilla. "So," she began at length. "Just how involved in this do you want to be?"

"Excuse me?"

"Are you willing to go beyond merely annoying 'mommy dearest'?" Laura clarified. "Stalling, giving me gifts that might repel other vampires... That's one thing. She could probably just write that off as you being passive-aggressive and territorial, or something. I'm asking if you'll do more. If you'll help us learn more. Actively work against her." She paused, letting that sink in. "I know you're scared," she continued softly. "Taking on someone _that_ old and powerful, who spent centuries conditioning you to be afraid of her and do what she told you, anyone would be. If we fail..." She swallowed hard. "But I really believe our best chance of success is with your help. And you deserve to be free - really free - of this life. Of _her_."

She'd never seen Carmilla look so conflicted. "What you're asking..."

"I'm not asking anything," Laura replied evenly. "I know I don't have any right to. Not about this. And I won't think any less of you if you don't. Honestly, that might well be the smartest thing you could do. But I need to know whether I should bring you in on any plans we might eventually come up with or not." She gave her an apologetic look, but didn't back down. She _couldn't_ , about this, and she knew Carmilla understood that.

Understood it, and approved. "I get that." She was silent for long enough to make Laura have to fight down the urge to start fidgeting. She finally muttered something under her breath that might have been, "Screw it," shook her head, and said, "...yeah, okay."

"Okay...?" Laura hated to press, but she needed to be _sure_.

"Okay," Carmilla repeated. "I'm in. Nothing is ever, _ever_ going to change if I don't at least _try_."

Laura reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. "You won't be doing it alone," she offered.

"Yeah." She didn't sound terribly enthusiastic about that, but, to be fair, they hadn't actually accomplished much of anything, yet... and she had a far better idea than most about what they were up against. "So, you'd better call up Clifford and get started on the 'Magic for Dummies' crash course. I've got things to do and places to be." She stood up.

Laura followed suit. If those things involved the Dean... "Be careful," she said softly, having to actively work to stifle an urge to step closer and give Carmilla a kiss. Purely for luck, of course.

"I could say the same to you," Carmilla returned. "Magic isn't something to screw around with." She also clearly had fewer personal inhibition, because she reached out and pulled Laura into another thought-melting kiss. She was closing the door behind her on the way out before Laura's brain rebooted.

"...oh, that's gonna be trouble," she muttered, shaking her head and trying to ignore the flush in her cheeks as she searched around for where she'd tossed her phone to earlier.

At least the camera hadn't been running. She had no idea how she would have explained _that_ to Danny.

* * *

Getting Danny to her dorm room proved remarkably easy. Convincing her to help call off the plan to capture Carmilla, on the other hand...?

Not so much.

She'd finally resorted to showing Danny the raw footage of Carmilla's story. Even that wasn't quite enough. "Look, I don't care how soppy her tale of long-lost love is. Did you not hear her confessing to centuries of tricking girls into thinking she was their friend before _she ate them_?"

"...actually, she delivered them to her mother for... something."

"Yes, because that's _so much better_..."

"Look, maybe she was before, but... she isn't involved in the kidnappings _now_. I know it."

"Laura..."

"No, I mean I **know** it," Laura insisted. "I... managed to do that thing Mel was doing last night."

Danny froze. "You... Laura, it takes years to develop the concentration and skill to pull off something so focused and subtle. It's not something that you just... _do_."

"Maybe _you_ don't, but... I did." She grimaced, then gestured toward the puppet show gear still lingering in the corner of the room. "Just like I 'just did' that."

Danny swiftly went from disbelief to concern. Laura had - briefly - mentioned the items she'd conjured, but her statements regarding her roommate had pushed them out of her mind. "That... might explain something," she said slowly. "One of our sisters mentioned something earlier about sensing a couple of... _odd_ pulses when she was walking back from class. If you compare magic as we do it to singing, these would have been... coughs." She shot Laura a look. " _Loud_ coughs."

"Which is among the many reasons I need you to help me figure out what I can do," Laura replied, trying not to wince. "Um... vampires can't sense magic not specifically tuned to affect them, right?" Because Danny _had_ noticed her new charm, and had looked it over to confirm that it would do what Carmilla claimed it would. (And it would, which Danny hadn't quite seemed to know how to react to.)

"Not as far as I'm aware, no." Before Laura could relax too much, she added, "Whatever they're taking the girls for, on the other hand...? That might be another story."

"Great."

"First things first," Danny decided, crossing the room to examine the frame. "Did you conjure these, or actually create them?"

"...what's the difference?"

"Well, conjuring as we do it is basically summoning ectoplasm from the spirit world, infusing it with energy, and forcing it into the shape you want with your will. That's not easy, but just about anyone with more than a little talent can learn to do it." She had her eyes closed, resting a hand on the wood, tapping it with her finger a few times as she hummed in thought.

"Oh." Well, that didn't sound _too_ bad. Better than reality warping, or whatever.

"...and it's not what you did." Danny opened her eyes, frowning.

"I..."

"Creating something like this - just _willing_ it into being - that... That isn't something _**I**_ can do. _**None**_ of us can."

"Oh... Goodie..." The words were faint, barely audible, and quiet misery was plain on Laura's face. Danny had no idea what to say to her that might help. "How do I get rid of them?"

"Well..." She could understand why Laura wanted them gone, but they needed to be careful, here. "Come over here." Laura obediently approached, though she wouldn't get closer than a foot away. That would do, though. "Now, focus on them - and _only_ on them - and... _want_ them gone."

"That is _so_ not a problem..." The glare she cast at the items suggested they had offended her reality by daring to exist, and they had better rectify that mistake immediately.

A moment later... they did.

One second, there was a wooden frame standing there with sock puppets clustered at its base, the next, they collapsed into dust that promptly began evaporating... somehow.

Laura looked stricken. "Dammit..." she whispered.

Danny needed a moment to recover, herself. Hearing about what Laura had done was one thing, actually _seeing_ it... Entirely different. More to the point, standing as close as she had been, she was able to get a good feel of the power that Laura used. Her technique was beyond sloppy, as expected of someone just coming into their magic, and immensely wasteful in terms of energy. That she was able to so effortlessly achieve things that should have taken years of study, or just been flatly impossible... Well, that said quite clearly that Laura had an almost _unthinkable_ level of power at her disposal.

Which suggested that she _hadn't_ been wrong about her connection to the Queen.

Danny didn't say that, of course. Laura's past reactions told her that such a statement would not be received terribly well, especially when she was already agitated. Instead, she remarked, "Well, you definitely need to start learning control. Also, precision."

If nothing else, that did at least get her to focus. "Wha...?"

"Precision. You really, _really_ need to learn better energy management, and not just to better avoid detection. Right now, you're throwing basically throwing lakes at campfires to put them out, instead of just using a small bucket of water. Only using as much energy as you actually need is one of the first lessons of any magic user."

"Oh. Right, okay." Laura seemed to be pulling herself together. "So, what do you need to do to call off the plan to trap Carmilla so that we can get started on that? It sounds... time-consuming."

"It can be," Danny allowed. "You may be a quick study - I don't know enough to say for sure, yet - but even then, it's a matter of conditioning yourself to act in certain ways, until it becomes so ingrained, you don't even need to think about it. As for Carmilla..."

"She's on our side in this Danny, I swear she is!"

"I'm not... doubting you, Laura," she said slowly. Doubting Carmilla, on the other hand... "We never actually told the Zetas _who_ you suspected was involved, I don't think. It shouldn't be too hard to discreetly get word to them that you were wrong, or that you want to be sure before throwing any accusations around."

"Unless they've seen my videos, I suppose," Laura muttered, fighting down an urge to facepalm. Although, since the subject had been raised... "So, maybe the first thing we work on could be a way to keep the Dean and any of her flunkies from even seeing them?"

Danny considered that. "I think we can do that," she decided. "It shouldn't be too hard to use your magic on the Aethernet to veil your videos from those you don't want seeing them, though limiting the concealment in such a fashion will require a fair amount of focus. I can help you with that."

"Your focus, my power, huh?" Laura laughed softly. "Heh. Never been the 'brawn' in the brains and brawn department."

"Something like that, yes," Danny said in reply to the first part of what Laura had said. She didn't touch the second, not wanting Laura to start worrying about what might happen if she thrust too much power at Danny all at once, or if it went out of control. Thoughts like that would only risk precipitating the very crisis they were trying to avoid.

This would make as good a first lesson as any, for Laura. It would also provide definitive proof as to exactly where Carmilla's allegiances lay. If she was deceiving Laura...

She might be under a geas that kept her from striking at the kidnappers, but she was sure she could find a way around that if she absolutely had to.

And threatening Laura - no matter _whose_ daughter she was - would be a _**very**_ good reason to.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Danny had insisted on veiling Laura's videos on the Athernet first, reasoning that other Summers - and the Zetas, for that matter - might need to hear Carmilla's story. While it may not necessarily have convinced her, she was honest with herself enough to admit that she might not be entirely objective where the subject of Laura's safety was concerned. If Carmilla could see the videos after they were done, that would certainly serve as solid evidence that she actually was on their side in this.

And facing a foe like the Dean, they could certainly use every bit of help they could get.

"What do you need me to do?" Laura asked uncertainly as she sat next to Danny at her desk. She had the host client for her videos on the Athernet pulled up on her computer, as Danny had requested.

"Before we can do anything else, you need to learn how to be able to sense your power within yourself," Danny told her. "Once we get started, I'll need you to let me access it. Ordinarily, I'd just ask you to give me what I need as we went, but you don't know how to do that, yet, and this spell is too delicate to let you experiment as we go."

"And you don't want to risk me vaporizing you?" At Danny's startled look, Laura offered her a strained smile. "I'm not stupid, Danny. If I'm doing things instinctively that you can't even conceive of, provoking reactions in that crystal of yours that even the Summer Society's leadership combined can't, and you think my mother is..." She still couldn't quite say it. "...Well, it only stands to reason that you might be worried if I just started blindly shoving that kind of power at you, you might end up like the puppet show gear."

"Those were inanimate objects; I know how to defend myself," Danny replied, locking eyes with her. "You being worried about something going wrong, however, could contaminate the whole working."

"Oh. Um. Oops."

"Don't worry about it. I know this is a lot to try and take in all at once, even without the whole vampire business. Now, let's get started." She took Laura's hands, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the girl. "The usual way of going about something like this would be to show you how I do it," she explained. "Not everyone visualizes their internal reservoirs the same way; you'll have to figure out what works best for you. After that comes siphoning off power to use in whatever spell you're working. Then you draw up your will, marry it to the energy, and go." She paused. "Or, we do, anyway. You seem to operate a lot more by instinct, at least for some things. Since I don't know how far that may go, I'll be starting off the same way I would for any neophyte spellcaster. Now, close your eyes."

"Is this going to end up zapping us again?" Laura asked, a slight teasing lilt to her voice. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"It shouldn't, no," Danny assured her. "That... may or may not have something to do with who your mother is. I'm looking into it. Right now, though, close your eyes."

Laura's lips thinned. She was getting the idea that Danny already knew what the problem had been, and just didn't want to say it. Still, this didn't seem like the best time to press her on it, so she closed her eyes as requested, trying not to tense up.

Something... brushed at her mind.

She wasn't sure how else to describe it. Aside from Danny's hands on her own, nothing was touching her, yet... she _felt_ something. "Danny?" she said quietly. "Is that...?"

_Please let me in._

She started. "Wha-?"

_It's okay, Laura. This won't hurt, I promise._

"But... **how** do I...?"

_The same way you've been doing everything else. Relax, and_ _**want** _ _it to happen._

Like it was that easy. It wasn't that she didn't trust Danny; she did. Even with, well, whatever was going on regarding her mother, she knew Danny wasn't lying to her. (Now that she'd calmed down enough to think about it, anyway.) Whether it was true or not, Danny wasn't deliberately misleading her. But opening up and letting someone into her mind...? She didn't know how to even begin going about that, or even wanting it. Still, she had to at least try.

But not the way she'd been doing everything else, she decided. That had evidently all been about brute force and raw power. If she tried that here, she was afraid she'd crush Danny's mind. Instead, she visualized a room. Not her dorm room - she didn't know exactly how this worked, but that seemed like it would be far too easy for her to slip and let Danny see a Carmilla-related memory she didn't want her to - but just a plain, unadorned room, with a door. The walls were a dull white, but the color seemed to fade in and out depending on how much attention she paid to them. Interesting, she thought, but ultimately unimportant. She crossed the room and opened the door.

Danny stood there, smiling at her. "You _are_ a quick study, aren't you? Most people need some help pulling something like this off. Nice work."

It was just a simple compliment, she told herself. There was no reason for her to be blushing, or to feel so warm and fuzzy inside. "Thanks," she said aloud. Or aloud in her mind, anyway. If that made any sense. "So... Now what?"

"Now you come with me," Danny replied, gesturing behind her. Laura looked past her to see a long hallway with doors on either side. It wouldn't have looked out of place in the Summer Society house, though there was a conspicuous lack of artwork on the walls. "I'll show you what I was talking about." She lead Laura down the hall. If this was all in Danny's mind - and if Laura focused, she could _was_ aware of her physical self, still sitting motionless - then her thoughts and memories were likely shut behind all those doors they were passing.

Laura didn't touch them, didn't even _think_ about opening any of them. As much as she might have wanted to know Danny better, that would be an invasion of privacy on a level she had no words for. Though... "Is there some way you can just _share_ how to do some things?" she asked abruptly. "Or is that just a ridiculous idea?"

Danny was silent for a moment. "Not ridiculous, no," she finally answered. "And I can show you how some spells work. But no two people's minds work _exactly_ the same, and _you_ need to learn it, to memorize it, to make it reflexive. Given how you've been operating so far, that part should be easier for you than any of my sisters."

"Easier isn't always better, though, is it?"

Danny didn't seem to have an answer for that, and was spared having to find one when the hall suddenly stopped, another door standing in front of them. Laura was sure the dead end hadn't been there before, but this _was_ a mental construct. The laws of physics didn't really apply. "Here we are," Danny said, opening the door to reveal... nothing.

Laura frowned, taking a step forward... and nearly pitched over the edge of the doorway into the void beyond. She flailed helplessly a bit before Danny managed to grab onto her and yank her backward. "Whoa! Easy there," Danny told her, biting back a chuckle. "Don't go in. Just look."

"At what?" Laura asked, just managing not to snap. It wasn't Danny's fault she was embarrassed, after all. "There isn't any..." She trailed off as she suddenly became aware of a great blinding sphere of light, floating in the darkness. "Oh." How had she not seen _that_ before? "That's... you?"

"It's a representation of the magical energy within me," Danny corrected. As Laura watched, Danny, with a tiny flexing of her will, _drew_ a tiny mote of power from the sphere, shaped it, and let it go. "Or how I learned to view it, anyway. Like I said, not everyone does so the same way. From what I understand, Mel sees it more as a lake, while Gail chooses to interpret it as a sort of contained vessel, like a water heater. I could go on, but I think you get the idea." The door swung shut of its own accord. "Now, let's go see how your mind views it, shall we?"

Laura shrugged. "Why not?" This whole thing still freaked her out, but this, Danny breaking things down into simpler individual parts the way she was, actually did help. And she had to admit, she was kind of curious, now. She turned around... and nearly walked into the door back to her own mindspace, which was suddenly right behind her. "Gah!" She took a steadying step backward. "Right, right, physics need not apply." She shook her head. "Do you get used to this sort of thing?"

"...eventually?"

She laughed faintly. At least she wasn't the only one it bothered. That helped, oddly enough. "Right then." She took a deep breath, then opened the door. The same plain, small white room was waiting for her. "How do I...?"

Danny poked her in the head, and she was aware of a wordless thought, an instruction of how to search, there and gone before she could really analyze it. Her subconscious, however, seemed to know exactly what it had meant, because another door materialized on the far wall. This, however, was not the same. If it wasn't the door to that odd meeting room in the Summer house, it was its twin. The same thickness, the same silver filigree, the same golden rose in the center... and the same 'Keep Out' vibe. She walked over to it and paused, unsure.

"Whenever you're ready," Danny told her, not rushing her at all, merely reminding her that she was there.

Laura rested her hand on the door handle... and froze, as a new voice suddenly spoke in her mind. _She cannot teach you what you need to know._

She twitched. What the...?

_She can begin the process, show you where to start, but what you must learn, what you_ _**are** _ _, is simply beyond her._

That didn't make sense. A quick look at Danny showed she wasn't reacting at all, clearly not hearing the voice. She didn't understand any of this. She didn't know who the voice was, she didn't know why Danny couldn't hear it, she didn't know why the door seemed to be locked when she had already been making use of her power, accidentally _and_ on purpose...

She got the impression of a frown. _If your powers have truly begun to manifest, child, you must not delay too long in summoning me. Power such as yours is beyond the ability of any mortal to control._

She yanked her hand away from the handle, glaring at it. "Uh, Laura?" Danny asked from behind her.

"The door's giving me lip!" There was a baffled silence, making her realize how little sense that statement must have made. "You didn't hear her?" The voice had been a woman, she'd been able to tell that much. How familiar it might have been... That, she didn't know.

"Hear who?" Danny was starting to sound mildly concerned.

Based on past experience, Laura knew it would stop being mild in short order. "I don't know," she admitted. This wouldn't help Danny's state of mind any, but it was likely important. As quickly as she could, she summed up the mostly one-sided conversation.

As she predicted, Danny frowned. "That sounds an awfully lot like-"

"I don't care," Laura interrupted. "If... _she_ wants to talk to me, she can damn well come do so to my face."

"Unless she can't." At Laura's sharp look, Danny shrugged and said, "As far as the supernatural set are concerned, this campus belongs to the Dean and her people. It may be against the rules to pop in without having been specifically summoned."

"This is my first year here."

"I don't know why she wasn't around as you were growing up," Danny said, shaking her head. "If you want those answers, there's only one person who can give them to you. In the meantime...?"

Laura let out a harsh breath, forcing herself to relax at least somewhat. None of this was Danny's fault, and it would be wrong to take it out on her just because she was right there. "Right," she muttered, taking hold of the door handle again and twisting it down. She yanked the door open... and nearly went blind.

Inside was an unfathomably huge light, making Danny's look like a lit match held up next to the sun. From two feet away.

Actually, Laura decided, that was a good comparison. It really did look like a star spinning through space, flares and prominences and filaments and all.

Danny... was not reacting quite as well.

The moment Laura had opened the door, she'd staggered back, hit with a sudden rush of impressions. The featureless room they were in abruptly _seethed_ with magical energies. She couldn't look at the open door, the light coming through it searing and making her move to the side of the doorframe to avoid it as best she could. From where Laura was standing, wild green and golden light spilled forth, somehow visible even through the blinding light from beyond the door, spreading through the room like a translucent garden: vines of green, golden flowers, flashes of other colors. There was nowhere she could safely look, but even slamming her eyes shut didn't stop the sensory overload. She was aware of a sense of warmth, choking heat, stealing the breath from her lungs and setting her flesh alight. She couldn't quite stop a strangled scream...

...and everything went away for a while as the mental bridge between her and Laura was blasted to splinters.

* * *

"I'm not happy, Mircalla."

It was funny, Carmilla mused. It the beginning, she'd always thought of herself as Mircalla, no matter what anagram she'd been using at the time. After hearing her 'Mother' call her that for so long, however, she was truly beginning to hate the name. "Well, there's this new invention you might want to consider," she drawled in reply. "They call it Prozac..."

"Very droll." Even in her study in her private residence, the woman didn't relax. "You've had more than enough time to reel your target in. Instead, she's cavorting with that noisesome Summer Society."

"So?" she replied with an elegant shrug, shifting in the not-quite-comfortable chair in front of the Dean's desk. "If we can take an actual member, what does it matter if she's chummy with them?"

The Dean glared. Only centuries of exposure to such looks kept Carmilla from fidgeting. "It matters when she walks into their House and reactivates defenses I haven't seen in over a century."

She reacted to that with a carefully calculated degree of surprise. "Excuse me?"

"Cassandra confirmed it this morning. So, is there anything you'd like to tell me about Miss Hollis?"

After a moment's consideration, she replied, "She's very tightly wound and has an unhealthy taste for junk food?"

"Mircalla..."

"What do you want me to say?" she snapped, throwing her hands out to the side. "She's never said a word about any magical talent, and you've never encouraged me to ask."

"I am now."

"Because...?" Another glare. "What? Did Cassandra say _who_ activated those defenses? Because I'm pretty sure that if the cupcake could do things like that, the Summers would have snapped her up on the first day."

Her glare softened somewhat, but didn't abate completely. "Because, depending on the strength of any such talent, it will be increasingly difficult, if not outright impossible, to prepare her for sacrifice."

Carmilla very carefully hid her triumph. So her cupcake _was_ destined to be taken off the menu. That was good to know. "That seems like something I should have known centuries ago," she noted instead.

"It never mattered before," Maman said dismissively. "Those girls were all investigated carefully beforehand. Hollis, though... Records of her mother don't seem to exist _anywhere_. There wasn't even a birth certificate."

"She supposedly died when Laura was young," Carmilla offered. "There should be a tombstone, if nothing else." She had to admit, she was curious as to what name was listed on it. And that was something she could safely suggest, since it would avoid even a hint of Faerie. She couldn't go completely silent, after all, not without making her 'mother' intensely suspicious. But even though it might make her completely safe from Maman, depending on what the exact terms of the treaty (or truce or whatever it was) that they had with the Summer Court, she'd promised Laura she would keep it a secret.

The Dean took that in, then nodded. "I'll look into that. Meanwhile, I want you to discover what, if any, magical ability the Hollis girl has."

"That's not something roommates just casually talk about," Carmilla warned. She didn't allow even a hint of a smile onto her face. "It may take some time."

"Try harder."

She didn't feign bristling. "Well, if I'd known sooner that I'd _need_ to..."

A sigh. "I am aware. Nevertheless, there is only so much time until the new moon."

That was as close to an apology as she was likely to get. And while she'd known when the sacrifice likely would be, it was always nice to have confirmation. "What's the threshold for acceptability, exactly?" she asked. "And how am I supposed to measure if she reaches it or not?"

"If she has any ability at all, get her to use it near Cassandra. She'll be able to tell."

"Right." With that, she rose from the chair, heading for the door.

Maman's voice stopped her before she reached it. "Where are you going?"

She turned, allowing herself a smile. "The wine cellar. I thought I'd get started now." And after thinking things over, she'd decided that the 'peace luau' that evening, while a suitable date activity, didn't really appeal.

And she had no desire to share Laura.

Seeing the approval in Maman's eyes - and hating herself for at all craving it - she strolled out of the room, planning out the night's revised activities.

This, she decided, would be an evening to remember.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Otherwise known as the chapter where the muse decided we hadn't traumatized Laura QUITE enough, yet... ;)

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

_She was floating in a haze of red._

_She didn't know how she'd gotten there... or how long she'd been there... or where 'there' even was... she wasn't even quite sure of her own name, just then. She was just coherent enough to feel a vague, undefined sense of frustration at her inability to focus. Something was wrong, that much was obvious. What that was, and what she could do about it, on the other hand..._

_Well, that was another matter entirely._

_Time passed._

_With utterly glacial slowness, she gradually began to regain a sense of awareness. She'd been... trying to help someone?_

_**Geez, Lawrence. When you decide to do something stupid, you don't do it by halves, do you?** _

_A voice... one she knew..._

_**I should hope so. The fact that you're finally responding coherently is certainly encouraging, at least. You need to wake up, now, though.** _

_What was... she? Was that a 'she'?_

_...yes. Yes, it was._

_Right, then. What was she talking about?_

_**Wake UP, Lawrence, before Hollis starts freaking out that she killed you, again.** _

_Hollis...?_

_Wait._

_Laura? Why would Laura...?_

_Memories came crashing back._

_Oh. Oh, hell. Had she really...?_

_That had been so... stupid..._

_The flood of memories became stronger, pulling her along in their undertow. Dragging her back to herself._

She woke up... and instantly regretted it.

Everything hurt. **Everything**.

She didn't move. Didn't dare try. That would probably make her brain dribble out of her ears. It already felt like it was halfway there. She gradually became aware that she was laying on her back on the ground. She could just sense a tingling warmth against her head through the skull-splitting headache (that was somehow even worse than her whole body ache). Something wet was dripping down onto her right hand and forearm.

"Honestly, Lawrence..." It was the same voice - _Jenna's_ voice, her abused brain finally told her - barely above a murmur. It still hurt. "I expect this sort of shit from Gail, not you."

"It's not her fault." _That_ sounded like Laura... sort of. Her voice was rough, almost... congested? Was that the right word? "I... I _broke_ her." Someone - Laura, she presumed - squeezed her hand.

"You didn't know any better," Jenna replied flatly. She could easily picture the blonde shaking her head, attention otherwise focused on her work. She was the Summer Society's premier healer... which made Danny wonder how bad the damage she'd taken was, as well as how Laura had gotten a hold of her. "She did." Her bodyache was fading, though not vanishing. Experience told her it wouldn't go away completely for days. Her head, however...

That would take a week or more.

Still, the hideous pressure in her skull was ever-so-slowly draining away. Enough to be able to think, anyway. She'd try opening her eyes in a few minutes.

"How could she, if I'm such a freak of nature?"

"She's right, Laura." It was a serious effort to even get a whisper out, but she had to. She couldn't just lay there and ignore the self-loathing in Laura's voice.

"Danny!" Laura leaned down and very, very gently embraced her. "You're awake!" Thankfully, for all her enthusiasm, Laura was keeping her voice down, too. The dripping had moved from her hand to her neck, finally clueing her in as to what it was.

Laura was crying.

"More or less," she rasped. "I mean it, Laura. This is not your fault. I made the mistake of treating you like an average newbie, when I damn well _knew_ you were more than that. I kinda deserved this."

"No, you didn't!" Laura pulled away - and raised her voice, dammit, sending a fresh spike of pain through Danny's head. "No one deserves _that_."

"Keep still," Jenna told her, sensing the subtle shift of her body in preparation to move. "I'm not finished repairing the damage, yet. Injuries to the brain are no laughing matter." She sounded distracted, now, more of her attention being taken up by the healing she was doing.

"How bad?" she asked, not sure she wanted to know. Though, really, she was awake and coherent, so it couldn't be _too_ bad...

"You had a hemorrhagic stroke."

...or maybe it could. "I... I- I what?" she asked, stunned.

"You screamed," Laura told her quietly, suddenly sounding so very small and scared. "This... _horrible_ screech, and... and you fell down. You kept making these nonsense sounds, and tearing at your head, and I _tried_ to help, to get you to stop, but you couldn't hear me, and you started convulsing..." The misery in her voice was unbearable.

"You had a seizure," Jenna interjected.

"I didn't know what to _do_ , so I just... I grabbed your phone and called for help, while I tried to keep you from cracking your skull open or swallowing your tongue." Her voice had gone from pained to dead sounding. Danny didn't view it as an improvement.

"Quick thinking," Danny told her, wishing she could open her eyes to at least try and reassure Laura that she'd be okay. "Sorry I can't help you with your videos."

"Don't worry about that," Mel's voice abruptly said, surprising her. How many people were there, anyway? "We took care of that while Jenna was taking care of the really delicate stuff."

"Oh. That's good."

"Yeah." Laura gave a quiet, bitter, self-mocking laugh. "If nothing else, I certainly know how to sense my power, now."

"Good. You _need_ to know how to do that," Danny told her sternly. "Might also help you keep any spontaneous conjurings down to a minimum."

"Danny, I nearly killed you!"

"Unless you let me delve deeply into your mind like that again, you don't need to worry about a repeat of that." And as much as she liked Laura, that was something she didn't dare do. What she'd seen...

She'd gotten a good, hard look at the naked strength of the neophyte princess of Summer, and it had been... _beyond._ Beyond her. Beyond anything she'd ever encountered. Every last ounce of strength she could have summoned would have been no more than a flickering spark beside that blazing fountain of light and magic. It was a kind of power that had existed since the dawn of life, and would until its end. It was power that had cowed mortals into worship and abject terror before... and she finally understood - _really_ understood - why. There had been a dreadful attraction to it, something that had called to the magic within her, like to like, making her want to hurl herself into those vast flames, like a moth to a bug zapper.

Never in her life had she felt as small and vulnerable as she did then.

And that had just been Laura. If she'd actually accepted the mantle of Queen-to-be... or, hell, if it had actually _been_ one of the Queens... Well, suffice to say, Laura's fear of her ending up like the puppet show gear she'd disposed of would have more than been borne out.

"Too bad," Mel mused from... wherever she was standing. Was it safe to open her eyes, yet? "You two make a cute couple. But Gail owes me twenty Euros, now."

"...huh?" Laura sounded distracted, but the seeming non sequitur did manage to pull her free of her dark thoughts, which was the only reason Danny let it go.

"Like I told you before, I was looking into what, exactly, those zaps had been about," she began. "I wasn't getting anywhere until I thought to ask Jenna. As far as anyone knows, she's the only one in the Society actually descended from the Queen."

Laura was still holding her hand. The abrupt spasm of her grip said she'd just started in surprise. "She... You are?"

"It was in the mid-1500s," Jenna said with an audible shrug. "My blood's diluted to the point of uselessness in training you, I'm afraid."

"Though it does kind of make her your great-great-great-times-whatever grandniece," Danny added, smiling just a little. It almost didn't hurt, which cheered her up a bit.

"Erm..." Laura clearly didn't know what to do with that information.

"I'm willing to accept 'cousin' for simplicity's sake," Jenna said, sounding slightly amused.

"Uh, right. That's... Yeah, we can go with that." Laura cleared her throat. She didn't sound like she was strangling herself with her tears, anymore, which was certainly good. "So... What were you talking about?"

"Ah." She wasn't smiling at all, anymore. "I figured it had something to do with the bindings on me. I'd been wondering if, maybe, the Queen just didn't think it would be... appropriate."

"'Appropriate'?" Laura sounded like she'd just been slapped in the face.

"She might not have thought any of us were good enough for her children," Danny explained. "That wasn't it, though."

"Good."

Not really. That was something that they might have been able to change. This... "The thing about magic..." Danny sighed. "Like calls to like, you know? If two mages are... intimate... all parts of them come together. With two people of roughly equal ability, that's no big deal. Some people don't even notice."

"My ancestor, the prince, needed to be _very_ careful about who he got in bed with," Jenna added.

"Then, if we'd..." The dawning horror in Laura's voice was no more welcome for all that it was expected. "Oh, God! I nearly killed you _twice_!"

"No, you didn't," Danny replied firmly. "That's why the safeguard's there in the first place."

"Right..." Laura took a deep breath, obviously trying to calm down. "Guess that's one thing M- _she's_ done right, at least."

Danny fought down a wince at the correction, but couldn't exactly object to it. "Yeah."

"Right." A heavy sigh. Then something seemed to occur to her, and, sounding amused, Laura asked, "So, does that mean we just had spell sex, or something?"

Danny froze for a moment, then burst into outright laughter... and holy _shit_ did it hurt. "Well, t-that's a new one," she managed amidst a mix of chortles and pained sounds. "Just... don't repeat it around Gail, please."

"Are you okay?" Laura asked, concerned, not seeming to hear her.

"She will be," Jenna said, then directed her attention toward Mel. "She's stable enough to be moved, now. I'd like to get her back to my office. There are a few things I can make use of to streamline the healing process a bit, and it'll be quieter and darker."

"Sounds like a plan."

"So, keep my eyes shut for now, you're saying?" Danny interjected.

"For your own sake, yes."

"Call me later and let me know how she's doing?" Laura requested as she stood up. There were a few audible pops as she did so, making Danny wonder just how long she'd been down. What time was it, anyway?

"Unless there's an emergency, it won't be until morning," Jenna told her firmly. "Until then, she'll just be resting."

"So no news will be good news," Danny added as she felt Mel's magic gently take hold of her, raising her off the floor.

"Right." Laura didn't sound especially reassured, but there was nothing else anyone could do or say just then to help her.

In the meantime...

Danny sighed. In the meantime, she should probably get busy figuring out what to tell her sisters when they saw her being carted back to the Society in the shape she was in.

This wasn't going to be fun.

* * *

This was going to be _so_ much fun.

Not so much dodging drunken morons, as she was currently - they couldn't even wait for the party to begin to start drinking? - but what would come after. It had taken some thought, though. First and foremost, she'd given a great deal of consideration to Laura's terms: their relationship would not advance until Carmilla could not only say that she wanted something serious and real, but actually provide it. To her surprise, she found that she _did_ want it. It was her ability to make it happen that she doubted. It had been a long time since she'd risked something like that - since she let herself _feel_ emotions like that - and she'd had to admit, after a great deal of soul searching, she wasn't sure she could manage it. She could certainly try, though, and if Laura continued being as understanding as she had been... Well, who knew? They might just pull this off. Once she'd made that decision, she'd come to the next difficult question:

Where does one take a Faerie princess on a date?

Oh, she knew Laura just wanted her to think of her as _Laura_ , not anything else, but if she actually intended to win in her struggle against the Dean, she was going to need to embrace that side of her heritage. Luckily, she'd come up with something she thought Laura might like, no matter what she was - or wasn't - calling herself.

She entered their room to find Laura curled up in a ball on her bed, looking quietly miserable. She sighed quietly as she closed the door behind her. "I was only gone a few hours," she noted dryly.

Laura huffed out a quick, forced laugh. "Yeah, well, never underestimate my ability to screw things up in record time."

"I'll keep that in mind. What happened?"

"Oh, you know. I called Danny. We did a little 'Magic for Dummies'. I nearly blew her head off her shoulders. Stuff."

Carmilla's attention sharpened in concern... though not for the same reasons Laura was feeling. "Are _you_ okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I didn't even know anything was wrong until she started screaming." She shuddered. "God, I can still hear it..."

"Laura..." Carmilla sat on the edge of the bed, resting a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Xena's going to be fine."

"Yeah, that's what Jenna said. I just... _Looking at me_ nearly killed her."

"Lucky for you, I'm a bit more sturdy than that. Not to mention harder to kill."

Laura sat up, turning to face her. "That isn't _funny_."

"No, but it **is** true. And from what you said, _you_ didn't do anything. So, let's set that aside for the time being, and focus on what we're going to be doing tonight."

Laura's expression shifted from pained to apologetic. "I'm sorry, I... I'm just not really in the mood for a luau, tonight."

"Oh, good. The more I thought about a bonfire with those lackwits, the less interested I was." She allowed herself the ghost of a smile as Laura (finally) focused on her fully. "A party should be a shimmering moment of possibility, not a collection of brutes around a flaming piece of driftwood. So, I came up with a better idea."

"Which is what lead to the... corset, wow, how did I not notice _that_?" She now seemed to be having trouble noticing anything _but_ that... until she forced her gaze downward, and noticed Carmilla's leather pants. Her very, very _tight_ leather pants. Her hand clenched a fistful of sheet. "I do like roasting marshmallows," she noted, though it was obvious she wasn't pushing for a trip to the luau after all. "But, um, you had an idea, you said?"

Carmilla stood up, extending a hand. "I think you'll like it. And don't worry, there won't be anyone there to notice your 'keen fashion sense'."

Laura narrowed her eyes playfully at the dig, but didn't hesitate to reach out and take the proffered hand. The trust implied in that ready gesture warmed Carmilla to her core.

* * *

"Oh, wow..."

Carmilla had lead her across campus, dodging frat boys and heartbroken study buddies alike, until they reached the North Quad. From there, they'd gone up a service stairway that Carmilla probably shouldn't have had a key to - "There _are_ a few perks to being the Dean's daughter," she'd said without a trace of shame - and onto the roof. It was the tallest building on campus, offering them a lovely view of the (admittedly pretty) campus... and a _gorgeous_ view of the stars. A blanket, a bottle of... something, and a pair of glasses completed the scene.

"Much better, don't you think?"

As much as she liked spending time with her friends, she couldn't disagree. As she settled down on the blanket next to Carmilla - very, _very_ aware of the vampire's proximity - she remarked, "Dancing underneath the stars? Yeah, I do." Her gaze drifted to the bottle. "Not to mention the... _ludicrously_ expensive champagne. Where did you even find that?"

"Mother's wine cellar."

Laura froze in place. Since she'd been in the process of taking a glass from Carmilla, the vampire took advantage of her holding still to pour some champagne into it, then her own glass. "Uh..."

"Oh, I checked it, first. It's safe, don't worry. As much as any alcohol is, at any rate." She smiled faintly, remembering. "They served champagne at the first party I ever attended."

"Was that... um..."

"When I was murdered?" Carmilla finished for her. "No. I was... sixteen, I think? Something like that, anyway. It's like... something seen underwater, from a great distance." She took a sip. "I prefer to think about the here and now."

"Well..." Laura didn't want to ruin the date - and that's unquestionably what this was - but she had to ask. "Speaking of the Dean, in the here and now...?"

Fortunately, Carmilla must have expected something like this, because she didn't seem at all put out. "Well, the good news is that we were right. Your magic _does_ take you off the menu. I'm supposed to be trying to get you to open up about it, or something, and get you to use it around Cassandra."

"Who?"

"A mage-slash-seer Maman keeps on staff. She's not even in the Summers' league, and clearly hasn't noticed anything else you've been doing, so her range must be for shit."

"And if I do that...?"

"She'll report that you're unsuitable, and they'll move onto someone else. They've got a quota to fill, after all, and only until the new moon to meet it."

The new piece of information distracted her from Carmilla's casual disinterest in her fellow students being placed at risk instead of her. "That's when... _whatever_ ritual they've got planned happens?"

"Yep." Carmilla eyed her knowingly. "And don't get all bent out of shape about the idea of them going after other girls. That just means you'll be more able to work against them without worrying about any undue attention. Provided they really can't see your videos, and you start being much more discreet in your activities."

"I know, I just..." She shook her head. No sense worrying about it now. "I'll have to think of something fairly low-key to do for this Cassandra, then. Don't wanna enter the 'Threat Zone' until I'm good and ready for it."

"In the meantime..." Carmilla tugged her closer, until their side were pressed together. Laura took a sip of champagne to try and calm her nerves. "...do you see those stars, up there?" She pointed at a seemingly random spot in the night sky, from one star to another to another.

"Yes...?"

"That's Coma Berenices. It translates to 'Berenice's Hair', and gets its name from the story of an Egyptian queen who cut off her golden locks to pay off on a deal she made with the goddess of love to keep her husband safe during wartime. The goddess was so pleased that the hair was taken up to heaven as a cluster of stars."

"Aw, that's nice."

"And over there..." She pointed in a completely different direction. "...is Aquila." She traced out the shape of an eagle. " In the mythologies of China, Japan and Korea, Altair, Aquila's brightest star, is part of a myth related to another bright star, Vega, in the configuration known as the Summer Triangle. Altair represents a royal herdsman and Vega represents the Sun king. The herdsman falls in love with the king's daughter and marries her, but they are banished to opposite sides of a "river" (the Milky Way) for being so in love that they neglect their duties. They are said to be able to reunite when birds span the river. The birds associated with the myth are magpies, but may have been inspired by the two bird-shaped constellations, Aquila and Cygnus, that appear in this area of the Milky Way. This love story is still celebrated by a Japanese festival."

She went on, patiently pointing out one constellation after another, and telling Laura what had inspired it. Laura let her head rest on Carmilla's shoulder, feeling more at peace than she had all day. It was obvious that Carm really was interested in the stars, and hearing - and seeing; she was slowly paying more and more attention to Carmilla herself, rather than the stars - her be so passionate about something was... amazing. "Thank you," she said softly inbetween stories.

"For what?" It took Carmilla a moment to disengage from astronomy mode, and refocus on more earthly matters.

"For this. I don't even have words for how much I needed something like this today, and you hadn't even known how badly my day had gone at the time." She kissed Carmilla's cheek, lingering for longer than she needed to. "So, thank you."

Carmilla turned to face her, maybe an inch separating them. "Anything for you," she murmured, her breath warm against Laura's face. They were dangerous words to say, given, well, _everything_ , but she wouldn't take them back.

And Laura could see that. Could _feel_ it, even. Knew what Carmilla was offering... and wanted it.

So for the first time, _she_ kissed _Carmilla_.

She was vaguely aware of the sound of a champagne glass being set down, but quickly lost track of her surroundings in favor of focusing on more important things, like the velvety smoothness of Carmilla's lips, hands wandering to new and exciting places... and peeling Carmilla _out_ of those ridiculously tight pants.

She didn't notice time passing.

She didn't hear what might have been a scream far off in the distance.

She didn't even notice the vines and flowers that were spreading out from where she and Carmilla were entwined, encompassing the roof, and arching over them until it all but cocooned them, as if to provide privacy.

There was nothing but Carmilla.

And her.

And an absolutely perfect moment in time.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

The sun was slowly beginning to peek over the horizon by the time Carmilla finally woke up.

Last night had been... She made a pleased sound, her body humming in contentment. Laura was draped across her, still asleep. The canopy of vines arching overhead let in just enough of the pre-dawn light to make out her peaceful features, and Carmilla felt her heart skip a beat. _That_ was a sensation she hadn't felt in decades, but it probably shouldn't have been a surprise. The whole scene was, appropriately enough, like something out of a fairy tale. Yes, she'd planned the date with a Faerie princess in mind, but... Well, if she'd actually expected things to go as far as they had - she'd _hoped_ , certainly, but hadn't dared for more than that - she might have taken some precautions. She'd strongly suspected that Laura had never been with anyone else before, intimately, yet hadn't thought about... Well, there had been some blood. Not a lot, but it _had_ been blood, and she _was_ a vampire. Laura had been too... _distracted_ , really, to notice anything was amiss.

It had burned like jet fuel going down, and made her feel like she'd been guzzling Primasprit. Her body had begun tingling, her tongue briefly went numb, she became convinced the plants were talking to her, and she'd suddenly loved _everything_ , and made sure to say so. Hopefully, between how out of it she'd been at the time and the fact that Carmilla had lapsed into German when speaking, Laura hadn't caught her proclamations of love. That would just make things awkward. Her own memories of it were a bit fuzzy, so she could only hope she hadn't embarrassed herself as much as she thought she had.

She was finally feeling more-or-less back to normal - there was still a lightness to her body that she wasn't accustomed to during the day, fantastic sex or not - and she made a mental note not to drink Laura's blood again, under any circumstances. It was far, far too potent... and she had the sudden, horrifying thought that her mother, so much older and more powerful, might not have the same difficulties. She had to get Laura to summon the Summer Queen _soon_ , so that precautions could be taken against that sort of thing. Of anyone, Titania would _surely_ know how to keep an ancient vampire from snacking on her little girl, wouldn't she? "It's always something, with you," she murmured into Laura's hair, lightly kissing her head.

Laura made an incomprehensible noise, snuggling up against her more tightly.

As much as Carmilla enjoyed that - her hormones were certainly standing at attention - the sky was actually turning pink at the horizon, now. They really did need to get up. (She might have liked sleeping past noon, but that was in her bed, not out on a roof.) "Hey." She shook Laura gently. "Come on, Cupcake. Wake up." It was kind of a novel experience, she mused, being the first one up, for a change.

Laura's reply was a mumble of what sounded like gibberish and quiet noises.

"Cupcake?" No answer. "Laura?" Still nothing. She gave Laura's behind a smack. "Wake up, princess!"

Laura jolted back into consciousness, pushing herself up and blurting out, "...save the goldfish!"

"I'll get right on that," Carmilla drawled, amused. "You awake, now?"

"...I think so." Not quite entirely awake, though, judging by her sleepy blinks as she looked around. It seemed to take a minute for her to realize that: A) she was naked, B) they were surrounded by plants that had no business being there, and C) Carmilla, equally naked, was underneath her. Her cheeks tinged a rosy pink - good _Lord_ was it adorable - but she made no move to cover herself. "Good morning," she said instead, leaning down to give Carmilla a quick kiss.

Carmilla wasn't having that, though. It was nearly three minutes before she decided the kiss met her 'good morning' standards. "It is now."

"Uh..." Laura was almost impossibly cute when her brain was scrambled like that. When she shook it off, though, it also visibly sank in just what they'd done last night. Carmilla braced herself against any knee-jerk reactions - her unnatural nature might have clashed with Laura's _very_ natural magic, and someone as tightly-wound as Laura could easily have second thoughts about sleeping with anyone - but all Laura did was grace her with a smile that put the growing dawn to shame. She could actually _feel_ the warmth of it on her skin, and the unconditional acceptance it signified took her breath away. "What time is it, anyway?"

"Dawn." Beyond that, she had no idea. Given her usual approach to classes and the like, keeping track of the time was not something Carmilla typically concerned herself with.

Laura blinked. "We were up here all night?" She absently made a parting gesture with her hands, and the vines around them withdrew. _That_ caught Carmilla's attention, all the more because Laura obviously didn't think anything of it, instead looking around for her clothes. "I guess I'd better check in with the Summers before they come looking for me, or something." She found her shirt... and frowned when she saw that it had been nearly torn in half.

Carmilla winced. "Sorry about that." She'd tried to be as gentle as possible, but vampiric superstrength and flimsy fabric often did not get along, especially when the vampire in question was... excited.

"I don't recall complaining at the time," Laura replied with a shrug. Actually, she'd been fairly well urging Carmilla to hurry up in helping her get her shirt off. She paused for a moment, frowning thoughtfully, then waved a hand... and was suddenly wearing a simple green sundress with a golden rose-print pattern. At Carmilla's raised eyebrows, she explained, "It seemed appropriate."

"Just surprised that you're so casual about that," she replied. "Last night, you were still freaked out about what you could do."

"Yeah, I probably will be later, too," Laura admitted. "Right now, though... _Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you're part of a team_ ," she sang cheerfully, grinning.

Carmilla laughed. "You dork," she said playfully, unable to keep from smiling herself as she found her own (far more intact) clothing and began pulling it on.

"But I'm _your_ dork," Laura shot back. "If you meant what you said last night, that is."

Carmilla froze. _Uh-oh._ "Uh, which part are you talking about?" she asked carefully.

"Oh, let's see... So much to choose from," Laura said breezily, which was not reassuring. "I'm apparently your sun, and moon, and stars..." Carmilla winced at how cheesy that sounded - it hadn't _seemed_ so at the time, somehow - but Laura wasn't done. "You claimed to love me and every single thing about me, and _wow_ did you go down a list. My hair, my eyes, my smile, my legs, my tight little-"

" _ **Okay**_ , okay! I get it."

"-behind," Laura finished, smirking. "But don't think the list was limited to physical parts of me, oh, no."

"I _said_ that-"

"And then you veered into Shakespearean love sonnets."

Oh, she'd _really_ hoped Laura wouldn't remember that. "Yes, well..."

"At which point you told me that my blood, and I quote, 'is like liquid meth'."

She winced. "I didn't mean to... There was..."

Laura held up a hand. "Carm," she said evenly. "It's okay. I kinda figured that's what happened. That's a one time thing, anyway, so don't worry about it. I was more worried that I'd poisoned you due to my blood being all wonky. But aside from acting like you were drunk, you seemed fine."

Carmilla shook her head. "I don't think I deserve you, Cupcake." She didn't get how the girl - well, young woman now - could be so understanding.

"I disagree."

They could probably debate _that_ point for the rest of the day without making any headway. Time to change the subject, then. "I didn't know you spoke German," she remarked.

"I don't." Misinterpreting Carmilla's confused stare, she said, "I know, I know. College in Austria, you'd think I'd have tried to learn it, right? I mean, I know a few words, but that's it."

"Then... How do you know what I was saying, last night?"

Laura blinked. "You weren't speaking German."

_What?_ "Yes, I was," she said slowly. "Believe me, I can tell the difference."

"Huh. Weird." Apparently, even that couldn't make a dent in her good mood. "Well, we don't have any classes today, so that means we can get back to trying to track down Betty and Elsie." The Zetas, not being complete idiots, had scheduled the luau for Friday night, so no one would have to worry about staying up too late or heading to class hungover the next morning. (Laura had made sure to tease Carmilla over the fact that she hadn't even known what day it was when she'd been telling her story - though, given how subdued Carmilla had been, she hadn't teased her too severely.) "Or maybe give Natalie and Sarah Jane a more thorough looking over. If Jenna can heal Danny's brain after I flash-fried it, she might be able to pick up something we've missed." She frowned lightly. "I should probably check and see how Danny's doing, too."

Carmilla swallowed any jealous-sounding remarks, knowing how guilty Laura felt about what had happened, no matter how many people told her that it wasn't her fault. "And assure the rest of the Ginger Squad that I didn't eat you," she remarked. Then she smirked and added, "Well, not like _that_ , anyway..."

Laura giggled, blushing. "Stop that!"

"Not likely."

"You are just..." She shook her head, cheeks still rosy. She didn't seem to mind _too_ much, though. She held out her arms, and some vines rose up to support her, helping her to her feet. She paused, considering her bare feet, then stepped into a pair of sandals that hadn't been there a second earlier before she set about collecting last night's clothing, intact or otherwise.

Carmilla momentarily paused in the middle of zipping up one of her boots, still surprised by Laura's sudden nonchalance regarding her magic. "Well," she drawled as she stood up, "if I'd known that was all it took to get you to be more comfortable with yourself, I would have tried to get you into bed sooner."

"You _did_ try, actually," Laura pointed out dryly.

"Maybe you should have said yes, then," she shot back, smirking.

"I didn't say 'no', I said 'not yet'." Laura took a deep breath, regarding her steadily. There was a sudden insecurity lurking behind her eyes that was impossible to miss. "So... Are we...? I mean, does this mean that we're dating, now?"

Knowing how seriously Laura took such matters - not just the subject of dating, but people misleading or lying to her - for once, Carmilla didn't prevaricate in the slightest. "Yes," she said simply. "I mean, if you want-"

"I want," Laura interrupted.

Carmilla considered that. "Good." She stood up, watching the tension melt away from Laura's posture. "Are we just leaving the flower garden up here?"

"...maybe people will think it's something the Alchemy Club did?" The uncertainty on her face suggested Laura didn't even know _how_ to get rid of it, which... made perfect sense, really. "There's no soil up here, so I have no idea what, if anything, they're rooted in."

"You got rid of that puppet show crap," Carmilla pointed out.

"Yeah... I really, _really_ wanted that gone, though." She shrugged. "Does it matter if I just leave them here? They probably won't last too long."

"If Cassandra sees this, it may put you into the 'strong enough to be a threat' category," Carmilla warned.

"Or maybe she'd just see it as a simple parlor trick," Laura countered. "Either way... I'm not sure I could get rid of them without scorching the roof, so let's just go. They may die on their own once I'm gone, for all I know."

Feeling somewhat uneasy, but unable to think of a reason to push Laura into trying something she obviously wasn't comfortable with, Carmilla followed her back down the stairs and out of the building.

It wasn't until they were passing a wooden support beam on the front porch, and the flowers carved in relief onto it twitched and then burst into sudden blooms of living color, that she realized they might have an ongoing problem on their hands. "Uh, Laura...?"

"What?" Her gaze followed Carmilla's gesture toward the beam, and she froze. "...oh." She was still another few moments, then shook her head, turning around and resuming walking. "No. Good mood. Refuse to let this ruin my good mood."

"And, um, _that_?"

Laura paused and turned... then groaned aloud when she saw the flowers springing up on either side of the path she was walking along. Carmilla shook her head. Calla lilies, edelweiss, snowdrops, purple roses, fuschia... Anyone who knew anything about flowers and came across all these together would be confused, if not outright suspicious. "Just... ignore it..." Laura insisted, resuming the trek back toward their dorm, stubbornly refusing to look at any of the flowers that seemed to be stalking her. "It'll stop eventually." She paused, then muttered under her breath, "I hope."

If she'd at all doubted that Laura was still Laura, this would have settled that. "So," Carmilla began as she caught up to her. "Should I just direct Cassandra toward this, or are we going to continue to try and pass it off as the handiwork of the gardeners? Because I think they'll know they had nothing to do with it, and regular flowers are a bit too boring to be something the Alchemy Club cooked up."

Laura gave a humorless laugh. "Yeah, not like-" She broke off mid-word, freezing in place as she stared at the ground. "What the hell is _that_?"

Carmilla looked, but saw only the paved walkway. "What's what?"

"Down there, there's... Wait. They did say something about a huge interconnected fungus they were seeding throughout the campus..." Her head swung back and forth, as if tracing something. Not something _visible_ , it seemed, given her eyes were shut.

"You can sense things like that, now?" Carmilla asked, eyebrow raised.

"I guess...? I mean, I never tried before, so... Wait. What's- _**Ow!**_ " Her eyes flew open, and she began massaging her temple.

"What?" She really _hated_ that something might have hurt Laura and there was nothing she could do about it, she found. Lovely.

"I don't know. It felt like I touched an electric fence, or something. Only with my brain."

Carmilla chewed that over. "If I'd kidnapped a bunch of girls," she began slowly, "and I didn't want the magic-using do-gooders on campus interfering, I'd hide them - and the sacrifice location - behind some kind of shield."

"Danny never said anything about something like this. I'm sure they would have looked for Elsie, and that would be a huge clue."

"You have a lot more juice than they do."

"I guess."

"So...?"

"It's... that way." She gestured toward most of the campus.

"That's helpful."

"Sorry."

"Well, given that you're evidently not supposed to have sensed _anything_..."

"I... suppose we could head that way and try again, but I feel like the more times I try that, the greater the chance someone like that Cassandra of yours will notice." And picking up on something the combined Summer Society couldn't would definitely mark her as a potential threat. "Maybe I could wait a while, then try it from the dorm?"

Carmilla shrugged. "Sounds like a plan to me. You might want to ask the Summers about any specific methods you might employ when you're checking up on Xena."

"Might as well. Though..."

"Though...?" Carmilla prompted.

"Well, if... that _voice_... is to be believed, then they can help get me started, but they can't teach me what I need to know. Whatever _that_ is."

"What voice?"

"Oh... Right, you wouldn't know. Sorry." She quickly summarized what she'd heard when she'd touched the door in her mind, not noticing they'd come to a stop in the middle of the path as she did.

Carmilla let out a slow breath. As much as she appreciated a break from the usual routine when it came to the sacrifices, this was all just a bit beyond her. "Then I think you're going to have to make a call you haven't wanted to."

Laura looked like she wanted to argue - a lot - but deflated a moment later. "I know," she admitted quietly. "I'm just... not ready, yet."

"You'd better _get_ ready, then," Carmilla warned. "If Maman figures out what you are first... Like I told you, she's very old, and very powerful, and obviously know how to perform rituals. I don't even want to _think_ about what she could do with your blood."

Laura shot her a look somewhere between disbelieving and horrified. "Oh, good, because I obviously didn't have _enough_ to worry about," she exclaimed, aghast.

"Unfortunately, things aren't going to _wait_ until you think you're ready to deal with them." It was blunt, but sometimes that was what it took to get through to Laura. "You _can_ handle it, though."

Laura smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. "Which part?"

"All of it. You won't be doing it alone. Though I can't deal with your mom for you, obviously."

"Right," Laura said faintly, then nodded and repeated herself more firmly, "Right. I just need to... girl the hell up."

That surprised a laugh out of Carmilla. "You are an adorable young woman."

"'Young woman the hell up' doesn't really flow, though."

She snorted. "Oh, I know. Still, after last night, I'd say you've certainly blossomed." So to speak, she thought, aware of the multitude of flowers surrounding them.

So was Laura, whose expression was shifting to one of alarm. "Oh, God, does that mean this _isn't_ going to stop?" she demanded, gesturing at them vaguely.

"Guess that's another thing to add to the list of questions you'll have to ask the Queen."

"Joy."

They continued on in silence for a while, Laura back to resolutely trying to ignore the flowers, while Carmilla was externally as aloof as she ever was. Internally... She had no idea what to do. After being her mother's slightly rebellious puppet for so long - really, there were multiple reasons she was glad Laura's attempted puppet show hadn't gotten off the ground; she hadn't needed that (however unknowingly) rubbed in - actively defying her... Laura hadn't been wrong, she _was_ scared. Add to that suddenly having a girlfriend that she was developing feelings for at an alarming rate, and struggling to help said girlfriend deal with her heritage, not to mention everything that was included in that... Well, it was little wonder she wasn't exactly operating at her best.

They'd almost reached the dorms when LaFontaine came out the front door, nearly colliding with Laura before they saw her and stopped. " **There** you are! Wait... Are you _just_ getting in?" they asked incredulously.

"Um... maybe?" Laura shifted self-consciously, obviously aware of the image she must have been presenting: standing there in a dress that (as far as anyone else knew) clearly wasn't hers, the previous night's clothing and shoes clutched in her arms, a (sexily) disheveled Carmilla next to her.

That last seemed to be giving LaFontaine the most trouble. "Uh-huh..." they said slowly, obviously not sure what to make of Laura staying out all night with Carmilla, of all people.

Laura suddenly laughed. At Carmilla's curious glance, she explained, "Sorry, it just hit me _how much stuff_ has been happening over the past couple days."

"That's putting it mildly."

"Yeah. Anyway, I _can_ explain," she said to LaFontaine. "It's... a bit of a long story, though. Where were you going?"

"Gail something-or-other from the Summer Society wanted to talk. To you, I think, but you weren't answering your phone, so she asked me to help find you. Which was easier than I thought it would be."

Laura blinked. "Gail? She's-" She broke off, head tilting to the side, then abruptly whirled and threw one of her shoes at nothing... which it promptly bounced off of.

"Ow!" nothing objected. A moment later, the air a few feet away shimmered, and then Gail was standing there, rubbing the shoulder that Laura had hit. She didn't look terribly annoyed, though. "How did you know?" she asked curiously.

Carmilla didn't appreciate being spied on, but she had to admit, she was curious about that herself. From what little she knew about magic, veils like that were designed to even hide their magical signature, as they would have been fairly useless, otherwise, at least where other mages were concerned. "What the...?" LaFontaine began, reminding the others that this was not a private conversation.

"Magic's real," Laura told them simply, then turned to Gail and shrugged. "I just... did." To Carmilla, she said, "It's okay. She was just worried. She wasn't there long, or she wouldn't be so confused."

"I knew it!" LaFontaine burst out, eliciting a smile from Laura. Carmilla would admit, the bio-major's easy acceptance of the weird certainly made things simpler, sometimes.

"How did...? _Oh_..." Gail's eyes widened. "I mean, I knew Mel said, but..." Then, to Laura's horror, she dropped down to one knee with a respectful, "Your Highness."

"Uh, Laura...?"

" _Long. Story_ ," she bit out, then shoved her clothes and remaining shoe at Carmilla so she could tug Gail back to her feet. "Don't _do_ that!"

"She hasn't accepted any titles, yet," Carmilla added, bending down to scoop up the discarded shoe because, really, why not?

"I see. As you wish, Y- Laura." She was still looking at Laura with a bit too much adoration for her comfort.

"How's Danny doing?" Laura asked, obviously desperate for a change of subject.

"What happened to Danny?" No one bothered answering them this time.

"She was still asleep, last I knew." That, at least, managed to put a more normal expression on her face. "Jenna says she'll be up and about in a day or two, though, definitely back to normal by mid-terms."

Laura exhaled heavily, relieved. "Thank goodness."

"Yeah. Now..." She waved a hand at Laura and Carmilla. "...what is _this_ about?"

"...did _no one_ watch my last video?!"

"Tragic backstory, ritual sacrifice, evil Dean, yeah, I saw. Nothing about getting busy with your undead roommate." LaFontaine didn't say anything, indicating they'd seen it, too.

"Like I said, the last couple days have been... busy." To LaFontaine, she said, "I'll tell you all about it once we get upstairs. I should probably make another video, anyway, test how the veil on them is working." She turned to Gail, adding, "Oh, and if we brought Natalie and Sarah Jane to see Jenna, do you think she could look them over thoroughly?"

Gail just stared at her for a long moment. "Oh, fuck, you don't _know_..."

Laura tensed, nervously grabbing Carmilla's hand. The others pretended not to notice. "What? What happened?"

"Natalie vanished at the party last night, and... Sarah Jane's dead."

" _What?!_ "

"She fell from the third floor balcony. I wasn't there myself, but from what that Kirsch guy said, when they noticed Natalie was missing, everyone went to look for her, and he locked the door to make sure Sarah Jane stayed safe. No one knows exactly what happened. We found those stupid cards in both their dorms, though, so chances are someone made a grab for her... and missed."

"I took a bunch of samples of that sludge," LaFontaine added, trying to, if not reassure Laura, then at least distract her from her growing agitation. "We'll figure out what it is."

"And was the puppy _alone_ when he told you this?" Carmilla asked smoothly.

"Well... Yeah, I guess," Gail replied, mildly confused. "Why?"

Laura, who had interacted with Kirsch more often than Gail had, knew where Carmilla was going. "Then where was Will?"

"Probably bringing Natalie to Mother so that she wouldn't be _too_ upset that he'd screwed up and gotten a sacrifice killed."

Laura whirled, tugging her hand free in the process. "Wait, Will's...? We've got to warn Kirsch!"

"Oh, no, we don't."

Laura gaped. "But he's in danger! I mean, unless you're telling me he's like you..."

Carmilla scoffed at _that_ idea. "Hardly. But we don't go around killing people for no reason, and the only way you could know about Will is me telling you. So, no, we will not be saying a word to Kirsch or any of his 'bros'. They'll be fine."

Laura clenched her tiny fists. "I get that, but... This... **Arrgh!** " She stomped a foot in sheer frustration... and the flowers nearby all burst into flame.

Ignoring both LaFontaine's startled exclamation and Laura's chagrined wince, Gail waved a hand, promptly snuffing out the fire. "I hate to say it, but... She's not wrong."

"I guess..." Laura was much more subdued following her outburst.

"Huh," Carmilla mused. "I know I once raised the possibility of you losing it and torching all my stuff, but I'll admit, I didn't consider it a serious risk." At Laura's hurt look, she added, "If you look closely, you'll see that you only toasted the flowers you made yourself - which does seem to have at least solved the problem of more showing up - while everything around where they were is fine." Watching as that sunk in, she gently said, "Even when you were that upset, you avoided hurting even the grass. You're not gonna lose it and barbecue any people."

Laura exhaled slowly. "I hope you're right." She shook her head. "Anyway, let's get back inside and get everyone up to speed."

"We'll be along in a minute," Gail told her, snagging Carmilla's collar to keep her from following. She didn't so much as twitch at the vampire's sudden glare.

Laura glanced from one to the other, then asked, "Don't hurt her, okay?"

"I won't," Gail and Carmilla chorused, then shot each other a Look. Laura snorted, then turned and followed LaFontaine inside, a small smile on her face.

Carmilla waited until she was out of sight, then smacked Gail's hand away. "Start talking, short stack."

Gail folded her arms. "No, _you_ start talking. How exactly did we get from Laura worrying that you were a kidnapper set on making her your next victim to jumping in bed with you in the space of twenty-four hours?"

"My natural charm and killer good looks?"

"Oh, there'd _better_ be more to it than that."

"You're not seriously threatening me, are you?"

"Well... While I'll admit, being able to attack you _would_ be definite proof you weren't aligned with the Dean, anymore..." She paused just long enough to make Carmilla start considering which direction to dodge to, then continued, "...but no. You really don't get it, do you?"

She was starting to lose patience. "Get _what_?" she snapped.

"You slept with the _princess_."

"Oh, don't-"

"As in, Queen Titania's daughter," Gail pressed on. "The ruler of fully half of Faerie. As powerful as your average Outer God or Archangel. Can and will go from point A to point B no matter who or what is in the way. And if you're sleeping with her daughter, guess what? You now most likely have her _undivided attention_." She clapped Carmilla on the shoulder. "Good luck!" She strolled past the immobile vampire, quietly adding, "You're gonna need it."

It took Carmilla a minute or so to get her legs moving in order to follow her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

It took a while to bring Gail - and LaFontaine, who'd been even more out of the loop regarding recent events - up to speed. As Laura did that, Carmilla kept herself busy by watching Laura's videos... and silently kicking herself for having been so oblivious regarding the camera being on.

Admittedly, it wasn't like there was a big, obvious light on it, but still... If one paid attention, one _could_ tell. (As such, she was pretty sure Laura was recording _this_ , if only so she didn't have to go over all this again with Perry, or anyone else she might bring in on things. For her own sake, Carmilla hoped to keep that number as small as possible; the fewer people that knew, the fewer who could let something slip that they absolutely shouldn't.) She was also annoyed at having given so much away. Not that it was _her_ fault Laura had gotten that picture from the faculty lounge - had it been up to her, it would have been destroyed a long time ago; why had that even _been_ there to begin with? - but she was the one that had tipped Laura and the gang off that not only were vampires real, but they were also behind the kidnappings. She could only guess that her mother _hadn't_ been watching the videos herself, or she would have gotten into a _**lot**_ more trouble than she had.

Laura's satisfied " _Ha!_ " when she'd been able to see the videos without any trouble necessitated further explanation where LaFontaine was concerned. Gail claimed to have seen proof that the cyber-veil did work, but - perhaps remembering Laura's reaction to learning about Will - declined to give any details. It was just as well that Laura didn't insist, Carmilla decided. If she started giving orders, the Summers would probably fall over themselves scrambling to carry them out, and it was obvious she hated that thought. And even if Carmilla did personally think that fell under the category of taking every advantage you could get...

"So, your mother is seriously-"

"Let's... not mention names," Laura said, interrupting LaFontaine with a wince. "Especially _that_ one. Just in case."

"I thought you had to actually have magic summon any of the Fae."

"Summon? Yes," Gail replied. "Attract her attention? That's another story. Granted, with books and movies using her as a character, and Lit courses being taught all over the world reciting a certain play by Shakespeare, the Queen likely gets to hear her name spoken in one form or another tens if not hundreds of thousands of times every day. Now, you need to understand, each utterance of a powerful supernatural being's name is... kind of like sending her a page, a ping for her attention. If it were me, and I had a phone tried to get my attention ten thousand times a day, I'd throw the damned thing into a hole. The big supernatural beings, especially the very Faerie Queens, may well feel much the same way. So, you probably _could_ sit chatting for an hour or two and mention her name several times, yet she wouldn't even notice those relative handful of pings among all the others. It takes a deliberate and rhythmic repetition, usually at least three times, to really get a signal through the noise."

"No wonder you stopped me, that first night," Laura remarked to Carmilla. After more or less getting caught up on the videos, she'd moved to her bed, and Laura, who'd been standing nearby leaning against it, moved over a few steps and dropped down into her lap. Taking the hint that she wanted to be held - this obviously wasn't a fun conversation for her, and repetition didn't seem to be helping with that - Carmilla wrapped her arms around her, and Laura leaned back, her hands resting atop Carmilla's.

The display of intimacy didn't go unnoticed, but was hardly shocking, given that the other two already knew they'd spent the night together. Choosing not to comment, Gail pressed on with her explanation. "But on the other hand... there's always the chance that she just might feel your utterance of her name, especially given your proximity to her daughter, and randomly decide to take a moment to pay attention. While that might be good for Laura and myself, it wouldn't necessarily be for you. Besides, it's a sloppy habit to get into."

"And I'm not... I'm not quite ready, yet, to talk to her," Laura added softly. "The world's just gonna have to wait a little longer, whether it likes it or not."

It was obvious even to LaF that that was a reference to something Laura and Carmilla had discussed, but they didn't pry. Instead, they said, "Well, in the meantime, we've still got some missing girls to find." They turned to Carmilla. "What is it, exactly, that happens to the girls you take?" At Laura's sudden, pointed look, they corrected, "Took. Whatever."

"I don't know. Whatever it is, it happens to them after they're taken to my mother. She's _very_ careful about not giving anything away unless you _need_ to know it, and she does _not_ like to be questioned. You don't get to be in charge of an antediluvian vampire cult without being something of a control freak, I guess."

"You're... being literal with that, aren't you?" Laura realized with a sinking feeling. Given what Carm had said about a vampire's ability growing with age, that translated to... Well, someone she'd rather be on separate continents from.

"Don't know if there was an actual, literal Biblical flood, Cupcake, but from what I've pieced together over the years, the timing's about right."

"Fun."

"Thus, why we're not taking her on in a straight-up fight," Carmilla reminded her.

"Do you know _anything_ about what happens to the girls?"

She considered that for a moment. "Whatever it is that happens, it makes their blood undrinkable."

"Do I wanna know what happens to those that try?"

"They just get sick. The more they drink, the worse it is." Leaning closer, she whispered into Laura's ear, "Not at all the fun kind of undrinkable that your blood is."

LaF decided not to wonder about Laura's sudden smile. "If it's changing their blood chemistry, maybe it's physically affecting their brains, as well. We really need to figure out what that goo we've been finding in their rooms is."

"If you can figure out what it is that's affecting them, the Sisters and I might be able to come up with a way for Laura to reverse it," Gail said seriously.

LaF's eyebrows rose. "For _Laura_ to...?"

"Geas, remember?" Laura reminded them gently.

"Ah." They grimaced. "Right, sorry. Just not..."

"It's a lot to get used to, I know. Oh, believe me, do I _ever_ know..."

"Lucky for you that the one person who would be strong enough and willing to help happened to be directed toward this college specifically right when you needed her most," Carmilla remarked casually.

Laura froze. "Wait... You think that...?"

She shrugged. "It's a possibility. You said yourself, you were directed here, of all places."

"My school's guidance counselor was convinced this was the best fit for me," Laura said slowly, honestly unsure how to feel.

Gail let out a slow breath. "If that _is_ true... It would be the first indication in over a century that the Queen hasn't... forgotten about us."

Laura shook her head. "Mother of the freaking Year, she is," she grumbled.

"It could be worse," Carmilla pointed out.

"No offense, but 'better than the dean' isn't exactly a difficult standard to meet."

"Heh. None taken."

Taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, Laura asked, "Hey, Gail? What, exactly, would it take to hide all the girls - Elsie, especially - from the Summers?"

That was clearly a question that the Summers had considered at length, because Gail promptly answered, "A number of things. The easiest, and most likely, would be a Greater Circle." She paused. "Do you have _any_ idea what I'm talking about?"

"Danny didn't get very far in magic lessons before I fried her brain," Laura replied with a wince. "And Mel was in no mood to explain more than she had to."

"She never is," Gail assured her. "Anyway, Circles. A typical Circle helps a magic user refine their magic, focus and direct it more clearly. It creates a sort of screen; defined by a perimeter keeping random magical energy from going past it. It can be drawn on the ground, made by several people holding hands, or a number of other methods. Then it's invested with a bit of energy to close the circuit. Circles create boundaries that isolate an area inside from the magical energies of the world outside.

There are different methods of making a circle, depending on the use. Draw a Circle, then put a drop of own blood on the circle, and imagine a wall going up. Chalk works but various things can be used to make the circle itself: marker, pouring dirt or powder, that sort of thing. That's the kind anyone can do," she added with a look at LaF. Laura buried a sigh, pretty sure Gail had just opened up entire new things for them to experiment with... and new ways to get in trouble. She hadn't known LaF for too long, but even she'd heard enough stories to be wary around them and fire. Something that might well require an actual threat to test accurately...?

This wouldn't end well, she just knew it.

"Now, for those of us making use of a Circle for purposes beside defense," Gail went on, "walking slowly clockwise around a circle fashion is called deosil and is done to gradually power up the circle. Circles are an effective and standard way to trap a spirit, making it helpless to leave or use power. A Circle made of fire can destroy the spirit. Circles can be used to cut off the flow of magic from its source. It is therefore a way to prevent a Necromancer from controlling Zombies."

"Zom- No, don't tell me," Laura decided. "I don't wanna know."

Gail smiled briefly, but moved on as requested. "Now, Greater Circles are something else entirely. While a standard Circle _could_ keep us from finding most or all of the girls they take, Elsie's one of us. We'd at least get a tug in the right direction. To block something like that requires investing some serious time and juice into it, leading us into Greater Circle territory. They're a very powerful form of Circle, and can also be used to contain a person or being with incredibly powerful magic, like, say, you," she told Laura, who shifted uncomfortably at the thought. "It requires an enormous amount of steady, powerful energy to maintain one, though. To hold a Greater Circle long enough to keep the girls hidden from when they're taken until they're sacrificed? That would require the kind of power found in Ley lines. And lucky us, the campus is built right on top of a cluster of them, which I doubt was accidental."

"I... thought I felt something, before," Laura offered slowly. "It... hurt, touching it."

Gail focused on her intently. "Could you get a sense of direction?"

"Not really, no. Just... thattaway," she said, waving aimlessly in the general direction of most of the campus. "I was going to try again from here, see if I could narrow it down more. Just... not sure how many times I can do that before someone or something notices."

Gail was silent for a long moment as she considered that. "A few, at least, probably," she said slowly. "Provided you wait a while between attempts. Just in case, I'll show you how to sense the Ley lines later on, to make absolutely sure there's no confusion." She paused. "Unless you can sense those already...?"

"I don't _think_ so," Laura replied with a shrug. "The only thing I've sensed underground is-"

She was interrupted by the _oddest_ sound she'd ever heard, a truly bizarre whirring, growing sound. "What in the world...?" she wondered, slipping from Carmilla's arms and getting up to move over to the window. _Wait..._ "Are those giant mushrooms?!" she demanded as Carmilla promptly shoved her away from the window, which she then slammed shut.

"God, I hate this place!" Carmilla exclaimed feelingly.

"Gonna be one of those days, alright," Gail agreed. "But on the plus side, any surviving flowers are likely to be ignored." Something occurred to her, and she - and the other two - gave Laura a questioning look.

Laura blinked, then scowled. "I didn't do it!"

"Could you have set off the Alchemy Club's experiment prematurely?" Carmilla asked.

She had no idea. But even so... "This is _not_ my fault!"

* * *

"So, yesterday was kind of a long day," Laura said into her camera. Unlike yesterday's recording, this one was actually intended to go in her Journalism project, so she was being careful to avoid any mentions of magic whenever possible. She didn't know if Professor Cochrane believed in it or not, but she didn't want to risk having all her hard work dismissed because of a few careless words.

Besides, she still wasn't comfortable in spreading personal information like that around, especially to those she didn't really know. And the fewer who knew about the probable source of her magical heritage, the better.

"Seems the Alchemy Club somehow - and they claim to have no idea how - lost control of this giant underground fungus." And she didn't care what anyone said, this was _not_ her fault.

"Idiots," Carmilla opined as she wandered over long enough to pass Laura her cocoa-filled TARDIS mug.

"And these huge mushrooms popped up and started shooting spores at people, and anyone who inhaled them kinda started lurching around like a zombie," Laura continued as Carmilla sat down on the end of her bed. Unlike in the past, however, she didn't flop down and ignore Laura, or launch into a string of snarky comments. She just sat there, watching her. _Being there_ for her, should Laura need it.

It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

"Actually, that part was pretty funny," Carmilla interjected.

"Right up 'til the moment they tried to burn down the Lustig theatre building."

"Yeah, that's still pretty funny."

"And tried to attack anyone who stopped them..."

"Yeah, that's still like a-"

"Yeah, okay, you stop pretending to be all callous and indifferent." One side of her mouth pulled up. "They all saw you save me."

"I was just saving myself from the spores," Carmilla denied... unconvincingly.

"Sure you were," Laura agreed with a smirk. "Anyway, those of us who, for various reasons, didn't get a faceful of mushroom dust spent most of the day hacking apart six-foot toadstools and rolling barrels of fungicide into the basement of every building within a half mile of the Lustig, which, side note: What is it with people trying to burn that place down? Didn't they already torch it back in 1904?"

"Well, nobody likes theater students," Carmilla pointed out, which... Yeah, she kinda couldn't argue with that. However, Carmilla then added, "They didn't just burn down that one building, though. The students noticed the missing girls and rioted, with almost half the campus burning down. The Board of Governors actually assembled to deal with the situation, which is _not_ something that happens often." She paused. "Though, it would be nice if Mattie showed up more often..."

Again with the whole 'Mattie' thing. "Who's-"

She was interrupted by the door opening, and Perry's voice saying, "...some crazy Cooking Club prank."

Laura huffed quietly. "We need to start locking that," she grumbled to Carmilla, who snorted, but didn't disagree.

"My hair still smells like burning portobellos," Perry added as she and LaFontaine walked into the room.

"Uh, Perry? Are you... kidding?" She was pretty sure Perry had seen one or more of the Summers using their magic against the fungal menace - the burning portobello smell hadn't come from the fungicide, after all.

"Don't bother," LaF said. "She's trying to convince herself that Day of the Triffids out there has something to do with the caf greenhouse getting out of control."

Laura frowned. "But the Alchemy Club _admitted_ that-"

"I know."

"And the _fire magic_..."

"Oh, don't get her started on _that_ ," they said as Perry dropped down to sit on Laura's bed. "I think 'palm-concealed flamethrowers' may have been my favorite explanation, if only because it _does_ sound pretty cool."

"Well, that is not beyond the realm of..." Perry trailed off, shoulders wilting. "Giant mushrooms?" she asked plaintively. " _Magic_?"

"Wait 'til she finds out your mother's a Faerie Queen," Carmilla threw in 'helpfully'.

Laura shot her a brief, annoyed glare, then turned to face Perry. "We don't know that for sure, yet," she said, though she was starting to feel that she was rationalizing things almost as much as Perry herself. "Though... she probably is, yeah. But, hey, being Summer princess means that the Summer Society should _adore_ me, so I shouldn't have to worry about them causing any further friction on campus, which is always good, right?" Silence. "Uh, Perry...?"

The Floor Don was staring straight ahead, an utterly blank expression on her face.

"Ah, hell, I think she reached Weirdness Critical Mass," LaFontaine sighed. "Perry..." They waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey, Perry!" Nothing. After a moment's consideration, they straightened up. "Yeah, let's... Let's give her a few minutes."

"Not to be inhospitable," Carmilla began. "But what the hell are you two doing here?"

"The test results came back for the fluid we found in Sarah Jane and Natalie's rooms," LaF replied. "It was cerebral spinal fluid." They shot a quick look at Perry, but even that oddness didn't make a dent in her blank state.

"Is that what I think it is?" Laura asked, honestly not sure if she really wanted to know.

"It's the fluid in your brain sack," they confirmed.

"So, I stuck my hand in a puddle of Betty's brain fluid," she realized, then shuddered violently. "Ughhh!"

"Oh, it gets better than that."

"There's _more_?"

"And what exactly is your idea of better?" Carmilla added.

"I looked at it through our electron microscope," they said, pulling out a flashdrive and jacking it into Laura's computer. As they pulled up whatever they wanted to show everyone, Laura spent a moment wondering whether anyone ever found it odd that a college in a remote area of Austria had an electron microscope. Surely, they'd learn of that fact _before_ they entered the Silas Aura of Weird, wouldn't they? "...and I found these," LaFontaine continued.

Laura looked at the image on screen, then promptly wished she hadn't. "Holy crapsticks, what are those?"

"I think it's some kind of parasite." They both looked at Carmilla, while Perry... remained motionless.

"Don't look at me, I don't know anything about parasites," she told them, looking like she wasn't sure _why_ she _needed_ to make that clear. "I told you, Maman makes sure I'm nowhere around when she does... whatever, to the girls. Food, drink, whatever..." She shrugged.

"Didn't really think it'd be that easy," Laura said with a sigh, trying not to look at the screen, and _really_ trying not to wonder if any of those parasites had been in the goo she'd had her hand in. Granted, she'd washed her hands afterward so much she'd probably lost a few layers of skin in the quest to sterilize them, but still... She didn't want her hands to feel so unclean that they burst into flame, or something. So she tried her best to focus on something else. "Now I _really_ wish Jenna had gotten a chance to look them over. This is probably what made Betty and the other girls act so crazy! I mean, parasites can do that, right? Like the thing in the Amazon that makes ants climb up trees before it kills them."

"Exactly," LaF agreed. "Or that protozoa that makes you like cats."

"Who wouldn't like cats, though? They're so cute!" She noticed Carmilla smiling. "What?"

"Nothing."

"So, minion vamps take girls," LaF said, trying to get the conversation back on track. "They infect them, somehow or other, with the brain parasites, hence pod people." Why they did so could wait until later. "Then they kidnap them again. Why?"

"We _don't_ , as far as I know," Carmilla said with a shrug.

Laura's eyes widened in realization. "Oh! So, it's more of a... parasitical life cycle thing, then. Like with the ants. So maybe the girls disappearing the second time is just... whatever the next stage of the parasite is."

"So, something we've never seen before at all?" Carmilla summed up. "Somewhat less than helpful in terms of finding them."

"I guess, but... Hmm. I wonder what would happen if the Summers tried looking for more of the _parasites_..."

"That might at least let us know if anyone else is infected," LaF noted. "I'll grab a sample and head right over there." They turned, then paused, noting Perry's continued statue impression. "Right, first things first..." They walked over to her and shook her shoulders sharply. "Perry! Hey, Lola! Snap out of it!"

"Her first name's Lola?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Why doesn't she use it?"

"This... These are not things that happen." It was so quiet, it took a moment for anyone to realize Perry was speaking. "Vampires and magic and evil, weird brain parasites and giant mushrooms? No." Perry was finally starting to focus again, and got a bit louder. It did **not** get anywhere near stable, however. "We're supposed to have a Movie Night, and a-a-a formal dance at the end of term. And you'll come to boy problems... or girl problems... or menstrual problems, but not all of this evil, weird conspiracy..." She was shaking. Whether that was an improvement or not was hard to say. "No. This, mm, this needs to stop happening. I demand this stops happening. Just... be normal. Just... _**BE NORMAL!**_ "

Her outburst was greeted with utterly dumbfounded silence.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** And here's the first of what I hope to be the regular updates for this story. Fingers crossed!

* * *

Laura laughed.

She didn't mean to - she wasn't trying to belittle Perry's obvious trouble in accepting the situation and all it entailed - but she couldn't help it. Partly, that was due to finally finding someone who was handling the whole mess _worse_ than she was. The rest of it, though... "'Normal'? Do you have any idea...?" She strangled off her laughter - it was getting a touch hysterical - as best she could. "What the hell _is_ normal for me, Perry? I mean, I _thought_ I knew. I grew up thinking I was just this girl, you know?" She was on her feet, now. "But then I find out that evidently I'm not, that my mother's about as far from human as you can get. So what the hell is 'normal' for a freak of nature like me?"

Carmilla wasn't willing to let that pass unchallenged. "You are _not_ a-"

"I'm the only person like me that anyone knows of - or has even heard of - in ages," Laura replied flatly. "The term quite literally applies to me, whether you like it or not."

"The only person in Summer, maybe."

That drew her up short. All the information and anecdotes she'd been getting _had_ been pretty much exclusively limited to the Summer Court, hadn't they? Sure, she was having serious trouble processing even that, but... Well, she'd never even stopped to consider that there might be someone like her among the Unseelie. Someone just as confused, just as scared. Someone who could _understand_...

While she was musing on that possibility, LaFontaine was saying to Perry, "Like it or not, Perr, weird is the way it is."

"That doesn't mean you need to fling yourself into every weird situation you can find headfirst," Perry shot back. Maybe it was the familiarity of arguing with her best friend, but Perry seemed to be finding her mental footing again. "Like this nonsense where you won't even let me call you Susan, anymore."

"That's what the 'S' stands for?" Laura asked. "Why does no one around here ever fully introduce themselves?" No one really paid her any attention.

"I don't wanna _be_ Susan, anymore."

"Wait, that's it?" Laura interjected, taking a couple steps closer so she wouldn't be ignored again. "She doesn't wanna use her first name? It's not like we go around calling you Lola."

"Actually, I identify as non-binary," LaFontaine corrected.

"Oh." Laura blinked, then winced. "I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"No, it's cool. I know I never said."

"So...?"

"They or them would work best as pronouns. The English language hasn't really evolved enough to provide anything better."

Perry broke into the conversation, clearly not happy with her concerns being shoved aside. "Susan's been my best friend since we were five! I won't let you pretend she never existed!"

Their eyes widened, as if only just now realizing what the problem was. "I'm not _trying_ to-" they began as Perry whirled and marched for the door.

She'd barely gotten it open when it was abruptly torn from her grasp, slamming closed with a thunderous impact that was probably heard all over the dorm. She whirled around in shock.

"...ah, sorry," Laura said, lowering her outstretched hand with a wince. She was, too. She'd been trying to _gently_ close the door. Clearly, Danny hadn't been kidding about her needing to learn control and precision. "But, I get it, you know? Realizing that you're not the person you always thought you were? I get that, now. And it is... _**so**_ hard. But maybe it might be easier if you have support from your friends and family?" Which made her realize that she still had to talk to her father about all of this. Did he know who the mother of his child really was, or...? If not, she had no idea how to start _that_ conversation, so she shoved the thought out of her mind for the time being.

"Speaking as someone who's literally been here for ages," Carmilla interjected, "preferring to be addressed by your last name and using different pronouns doesn't even _register_ on the Silas scale of weirdness."

"I... I get that..." Though it was obvious the woman who craved normality more than anything didn't _want_ it. "I just..."

"...Need some time to process everything?" LaF finished for her. "That's okay. We did hit you with a _ton_ of weird all at once." They pulled Perry into a hug. "And I promise, I'm still me. Just because I don't identify as Susan anymore, that doesn't make everything that happened when I did suddenly meaningless. You're always going to be my best friend, no matter what."

Perry's resistance crumbled, and she hugged them back tightly. "And you're mine. I... I will _try_ to get this, I promise."

LaFontaine visibly relaxed. Clearly, a promise from Perry was an absolute certainty as far as they were concerned. "Okay. In the meantime, I've got something to drop off at the Summer house."

"And I... have a crapton of homework to get caught up on," Laura realized. The extreme busyness of the past few days had not included much if any schoolwork, and she _did_ have a Lit midterm coming up. On some level, she had it stuck in her head that failing that would mean making Danny look bad, which, as the Summers' de facto princess, she should avoid whenever possible. It didn't seem quite fair that she have to deal with schoolwork on top of everything else, but she wasn't about to let herself start thinking that she was in any way better than the other students, or somehow above them.

That was a slippery slope that she didn't dare start down.

* * *

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

Carmilla started, then cursed herself for having been so unaware that she hadn't even heard the door creaking open. (Laura was right, they _did_ need to start locking it.) She'd just been so caught up in staring fondly at Laura over the top of the philosophy book she really wasn't reading. Having worked steadily for hours with only reluctantly taken meal breaks, Laura had eventually passed out face down in a book at her desk, arms tucked under her head, breathing slow and steady, her light brown hair fanned out over her work. It was insanely adorable, really.

But as Will gently shut the door behind him, she decided that was no excuse for dropping her guard to such a degree. "What are _you_ doing here?" she asked scornfully.

"Mother sent me to see how things were developing with your roommate problem."

She frowned. "In-progress. Don't let the door hit you in the brain on the way out."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't get snippy with me, Kitty. You know she's going to want more than that."

"Oh, please. It hasn't even been two days." She was on her feet, now, standing between him and Laura. "She knows this sort of thing takes time. If she's in such a hurry, she'd just move on to one of the alternates."

He shrugged. "Apparently, Cassandra keeps getting, and I quote, 'twinges' around her. But since she hasn't been able to get close enough to get a solid read on her..."

She stared for a long moment. She couldn't help it. "How the fuck close does she need to _get_ , exactly?"

Will sighed. "Tell me about it," he grumbled. For a moment, the 'siblings' were united in their irritation with their mother's pet mage. "I have enough to deal with regarding that loser George or Greg or whatever who keeps trying to apply to be a Zeta, nevermind that we're nearly halfway through the term, already. I don't need to be saddled with your homework, too."

"You are such a Mama's boy."

"What the hell are you two arguing about?" Laura asked, voice thick with sleep. Carmilla turned to see her sitting up at her desk, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

_Goddammit._ This was exactly what she **didn't** need. "Nothing."

"You, actually," Will said at the same time. "Cute bracelet, by the way."

"It was a gift." Laura swallowed a yawn. "Shouldn't you be out 'dudescorting' some girl home from the Library or something?"

"And I wonder from whom?" he remarked, looking sideways at Carmilla, who glared back. "You can drop the act. Given that those ever-so-entertaining videos of yours all vanished from the 'Net, but only for the vampires on campus... Well, it's kind of obvious something's up."

"You'd have to ask Mel about that." She was on her feet, now, but didn't know where to go from there. She didn't want to do anything that would get Carm in trouble, and they were _not_ ready to start the fight against the dean and whatever forces she had at her disposal. That meant convincing Will everything was fine, but how was she supposed to do that when he was already suspicious?

"The bitchy Summer? Interesting." She felt like she _should_ be protesting that description, but... "Lawrence wasn't in the mood?"

"I haven't seen her in a couple of days," she replied truthfully. "I don't think she likes the fact that, well..." She trailed off, wrapping her arms around Carmilla's waist. The vampire leaned against her, looking smug.

"Huh." Will didn't look especially surprised. "Well, that's going to make things harder than they need to be." Without warning, he reached out and yanked Laura toward him.

Then he staggered backward as Laura promptly punched him in the throat.

"My father is a raging paranoid," she informed him irritably as Carmilla pushed her way between them again. "You think he sends me day of the week bear spray, but didn't sign me up for Krav Maga at age eight?"

"You are full of surprises, Cupcake," Carmilla said lightly, even as she glared at Will. "Let me handle this from here, though." Laura didn't like the homicidal glint in her eyes.

Neither, it seemed, did Will. "You're just making things worse for yourself, Kitty..." He was clearly trying to sound smooth and confident, but a touch of nervousness was leaking into his voice anyway. Given the difference in their ages - and thus, their relative power level - that wasn't exactly a surprise.

What _was_ , however, was that Carmilla wasn't even trying to play innocent. "Oh, I haven't even begun," she promised, then hauled off and decked Will. _Hard_.

"Stop!" Laura cried desperately as the punch landed... and they did. So did everything else.

Everything.

All the normal background sounds of the dorm had vanished. Carmilla and Will were frozen in place, and... Was that a tooth stuck in the air? She picked up her phone, and saw that the clock on it wasn't moving, either. Even flipping it open didn't seem to turn it on.

She moaned quietly, certain she'd just crossed some kind of line with this. She could sense it, on a deep, fundamental level. For a long moment, she debated just staying where she was, and hoping Will didn't notice any minute shift in where she was standing - given the punch he'd just taken, he probably wouldn't. But, no. Something told her that this would have been her loudest magical 'cough' yet, and _would_ be attracting attention.

She still wasn't ready, but there was really only one thing she could do.

She edged around the motionless vampires, opened the door, and ducked out into the hallway. She paused briefly upon laying eyes on a blonde lingering near the doorway, and a burst of intuition told her this must have been the oft-mentioned Cassandra. Will had evidently intended on provoking her into using her magic, and had succeeded beyond his wildest expectations. She wasn't sure leaving her there like that was a good idea, but really, there was no hiding what she'd done, so there was no point in bothering her.

Besides, she had no idea how long this was going to last, and she had a lot of ground to cover.

She'd actually reached the Summer Society's doorstep - slightly out of breath, and feeling a serious case of déjà vu - before the world abruptly jerked back into motion. She pulled out her phone and flipped it open. Sure enough, it was again functioning normally, though the clock... She frowned at it, and the phone abruptly beeped, the time jumping ahead slightly over fifteen minutes.

By this point, she barely even registered that it had responded to her will. She had bigger things to think about.

Gail raised an eyebrow upon opening the door and again finding her there. "You here to check on Danny?"

"No. Well, I mean, I'd like to, but..." She shifted uncomfortably. "I think I just did something I really shouldn't have been able to."

Knowing what she did about Laura, Gail took that in with appropriate seriousness. "Come inside."

There were a fair number of Summers in the living room this time, and they were uniformly giving her looks that ranged from adoring to amazed to borderline worshipful. "You _told_ them?!" Laura realized, feeling a vague sense of (probably unfounded) betrayal.

"They kind of had to, when I was carted back here flat on my back." Laura perked up. The voice had been tired, but unmistakably Danny's. Sure enough, a moment's search revealed the statuesque ginger seated in a chair tucked in the corner, where she could watch the room.

Laura swooped over to give her a hug. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay," she said into Danny's neck, then pulled back to meet her eyes. "I am _so_ sorry, I swear I didn't-"

"Laura!" Danny interrupted, placing a finger across her lips to silence her apologies. "I know, remember? It's okay. Accidents happen during training, especially when the trainer fails to take appropriate precautions. Now, what are you doing here?"

Laura hesitated, then stood up. "Do you have your phone on you?" she asked.

"Yes..." Danny said uncertainly. Laura wasn't known for dodging questions.

"Do me a favor. See if the time is up to date on it, please."

Confused, but willing to go along with it for the time being, Danny did as she was asked. A few moments later, she frowned. "That's odd. It says I lost fifteen minutes, somehow."

"Yeah, that... That was me." Laura sighed. "I'd hoped I'd just, like, sped myself up, but... No, this is much worse."

"That... would be putting it mildly," Danny agreed numbly. Every time she thought she had a handle on Laura's nature, she went and pulled something like this. She couldn't even imagine how Laura herself must have felt right then. What she was about to say - what she _had_ to say - wouldn't help with that. "Time manipulation like that... Well, that sort of thing is reserved for those in the major leagues... like Faerie Queens."

The expected outburst never came. Instead, Laura simply nodded, looking resigned. "Yeah, I kinda figured that." She paused, steeling herself. "I think... I need to make that call, now. Can you...? I mean, how do I...?"

She didn't know how to call her own mother. Something about that was unutterably sad. "It shouldn't be too hard. There's a summoning room on the second floor you can use." With some effort, she pushed herself out of her chair. She still felt far weaker than she at all liked, but _this_ was not something she was going to miss.

Nor, it seemed, was anyone else, because they amassed quite the procession on the way up.

The room was deliberately kept bare, Danny explained, to prevent any accidents, or anything crossing the Circle's boundary. The circle, placed in the center of the room, was a five foot hoop of braided copper, silver, and iron. They'd upgraded some time ago, Danny explained, from the old solid brass or copper circles. She supposed that was a good thing - in theory, the iron would keep her mother in place until Laura wanted her to leave. In practice... Well, they'd never gotten the Queen to answer their summons with the new circle. Or some of the old ones.

Ordinarily, a summoning like this would require representations of the elements, but the Summers were confident - or just desperate to believe - that the fact that it was coming from _Laura_ would be enough, by itself. She wasn't so sure, but then, they were the experts, not her. Struggling to contain her emotions - she still wasn't ready for this, for all that she had no choice - she willed the Circle closed as they'd showed her, and started the summoning. "Lady of Light and Life, hear me," she began nervously. "Thou who art Queen of the Evergreen, Lady of Flowers, hear me. I... I need you. Hear my voice. Hear my need." Her anger - due to the lie she'd lived growing up, the Summers' abandonment, the sacrificing of the girls for so long, and so many other things - began getting the better of her. "You _do_ remember me, right? Your _daughter_? The one you _abandoned_?" The Summers were probably giving her wide-eyed looks of horror, but she just didn't care. "Titania, Titania, Titania! I summon thee! So _get down here_ , or so help me-!"

"You needn't shout, child," a voice broke in. "I assure you, I can hear you."

And Laura started trembling, because she knew that voice. The memories had faded with time, but had not gone away. She looked up and noticed two things: time had evidently stopped again, and the circle was no longer empty.

Standing there was a woman with the kind of beauty that made men murder friends and start wars. She was tall, though perhaps a shade shorter than Danny. Her hair was the color of the sun, somewhere between yellow and orange - someone who rejected the supernatural as much as Perry did would likely mistakenly think it was light red. Her dress was the green of freshly cut grass, low-cut, and showing enough leg to make her glad that none of the Zetas were present, especially given the heels on the matching pumps. Emeralds set in gold glittered on her ears and at her throat. Her eyes were green and canted like a feline. Atop her head lay a circlet of twisting vines - a crown, Laura realized - with the points being made of unopened rose buds.

And Laura could feel tears slipping down her cheeks, because behind all of the alien strangeness, she could see her mother's features looking back at her. "Mama?" she asked, voice quiet and shaking. Sounding like the little girl she hadn't been since she'd last laid eyes on her mother.

Titania, Queen of Light and Life, Monarch of the Summer Court of Faerie, smiled fondly at her. "Hello, Laura."


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we meet Queen Exposition - er, Titania - and Laura learns that yes, things can ALWAYS be worse than she thought.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Laura stood frozen.

She didn't know what to do. There was a part of her, she realized, that honestly hadn't really expected this to work. When she'd been young, with the loss of her mother still fresh, she'd often lie awake at night, thinking of things she wanted to say to her, what she might give to see her just one more times. Such thoughts - prayers, really - had always gone unanswered. Now that she was standing right there, just a few feet away, Laura couldn't call a single one of them to mind.

More than that, though, seeing her standing there like that, alien and strange, inhumanly beautiful, radiating power the way the sun radiated heat... It was calling to a previously dormant part of her. The Summer Queen held a terrible attraction, and she'd actually taken an unconscious step forward before she caught herself. If she broke that circle...

What? What would happen? She could hug her mother? Titania would leave before she'd answered all of Laura's questions? She didn't know. There was _so much_ she didn't know!

And she wouldn't be getting any answers until she began actually asking some questions. "Why?" The word was quiet and ragged, forced out of her throat by sheer force of will.

The Queen raised an eyebrow. "Why _what_ , precisely?"

That did it. Her anger reignited, sweeping away the mess of emotions that had been paralyzing her. "Don't play games! Why didn't you ever _tell_ me? Why did you _leave_ me?!"

A sigh. "Laura, as much trouble as you've been having adjusting to the concept, I am the ruler of half of the realm of Faerie. Even now, you have no real understanding of what that entails. As we have other, more important matters to discuss, I will simply say that the title of Queen carries with it a great deal of responsibilities... and a great number of enemies. Bringing you back to Civitas Solis with me before you were old enough to understand your surroundings would have placed you in grave danger."

Civitas Solis. She didn't really know any Latin, but somehow those words made perfect sense to her, as if they'd been spoken in English. _Civitas Solis. City of the Sun._ That same part of her that was being pulled toward the Queen felt an almost desperate longing to see it, but she roughly shoved it back down. She wasn't done being angry, yet. "Oh, please," she said derisively. "The _Summer Queen_ couldn't keep her own child safe in the seat of her power? Yeah, right!"

"That is not-"

"You just didn't want me around, did you? Humans must be like... mayflies, to you. So small and fragile, there and gone in the blink of an eye. I'd be dead and gone almost before you realized it, so why bother getting attached, right?"

Titania seemed taken aback. " _No_ , Laura. That-"

" _ **I needed you!**_ " The words tore their way free of her throat in a scream. Tears still streaming down her face, she continued, "You're my _mom_! You can't just... leave, and decide to come back later! Dad _tried_ to make up for you not being there! He tried... _so hard_..." She dropped to her knees. "But there were some things he couldn't do... couldn't understand..." She squeezed her eyes shut, but that didn't stop her tears. "How could you abandon me?" she whispered.

She didn't hear any footsteps, but she was suddenly being pulled into an achingly familiar hug. "Oh, Laura," Titania said softly, stroking her hair. The embrace, the faint scent of wild roses and honeysuckle that had always surrounded her mother... Laura clung to her, buried her face against her neck, and began sobbing in earnest. Titania merely held her, rocking lightly back and forth, rubbing her back and making soothing noises. It was so much like when she was a young girl and had run to her mother for comfort that she only cried harder.

It wasn't until her sobs began slowly winding down that she remembered Titania was supposed to be trapped in the Circle.

She could somehow _feel_ the Queen's fond amusement. "It was a very nice circle, Laura, but you would have needed to be devoting your full attention to maintaining it if you wanted to even have a chance of holding me there." It went unspoken that the more magically inclined of the Summer Society wouldn't have been able to manage even that much.

Laura clung to her desperately. "Don't go," she whispered hoarsely. She didn't think she could handle it a second time.

Titania didn't say anything for a time, merely stroking Laura's back. "I would never leave you in such a state," she finally said. "And while I cannot remain, I assure you, if you call me, I will answer, now that I know where to find you."

"I don't know how to-" Her last words sunk in. "Wh-what?"

"Your father hid you from me." The words were simple, and plainly spoken, but they still somehow made it clear that a _dire_ fate lay in store for her father once the Queen got a hold of him.

Laura pulled back, sniffling, not even really paying attention to the fact that, impossibly, she _hadn't_ just made a mess of Titania's dress. "Don't hurt him," she promptly begged.

" _He kept you from me._ " She was keeping it under control, but Laura could instinctively sense that if Titania gave voice to how angry she truly was, everyone in range would either be bleeding from every orifice, or reenacting the scene in _Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark_ when the titular Ark was opened.

"Did he know? Um, who you are, I mean?"

"In the end, yes."

"Then... maybe he was worried about the same thing you were." That, and keeping her hidden from Titania, might explain his rampant paranoia where she was concerned. "Either way, he's still my Dad. And he _is_ a good dad, smothering overprotectiveness aside." Which wasn't to say that, as much as she loved him, she wasn't angry at him, too. It just didn't mean she wanted him dead... or worse.

Titania glowered. Laura then surprised both of them when a laugh burst free from her lips. "Something amuses you?"

"It's nothing." She'd just realized something, was all: She'd inherited her mother's temper, along with her magic.

"I see." And judging by her amusement, she truly did. If it distracted her from her anger at her father, Laura wouldn't say one word about it. "Very well. If only to make up for the pain I've caused you, I'll spare him his deserved punishment." She stood, then gracefully helped Laura to her feet.

"Okay," Laura said, wiping her eyes. She still didn't know what to do. She was angry at her mother, but she was also ridiculously happy to see her. She knew she needed to ask for help with her magic, but she also didn't even want to think about that. Truthfully, the whole mess had her so frazzled, she could barely get her thoughts in order. "Betty!" she abruptly blurted out, seemingly at random. "My roommate. She's, well, missing. So are a couple other girls, including one of the Summer Society-"

"Elsie," Titania finished for her. "Yes, I know."

"You know? You _knew_?" Oh... Danny had said something about a treaty of some kind, hadn't she? "But... why? Why would you just... _let_ that happen?"

She sighed. "The sacrifices are unfortunate, and I would rather they did not occur, but they are preferable to the beast waking."

Laura blinked. "What beast?"

"It has many names: 'The Deep One', 'The Light That Devours'. It was placed there ages past to guard the Gate."

"Gate?" There was a gate, now? When had that happened? Why were things so complicated, now? She'd just wanted to find her roommate! "Um, gate to where?"

"Oblivion."

Laura blinked, thought for a moment, and decided that no, her mother was probably _not_ making a reference to the _Elder Scrolls_ series of video games. Furthermore, she decided that going from asleep to adrenaline rush to emotionally overwhelmed was not great for her concentration. "So... what? There's a hellmouth underneath the school?" Great. Where was Buffy when you actually needed her?

Titania shook her head. "Nothing so unthreatening, I fear."

"' _Unthreatening_ '?!"

"Comparatively. This is simply... _beyond_. Outside. What lies on the other side of that Gate has nothing in common with this universe. _Nothing_. Even importing tiny fragments of matter would have catastrophic consequences. A sliver of what was presumably the otherside equivalent of a rock brought with it madness and death for tens of thousands on the island of Sumbawa. Ultimately, Mount Tambora was detonated to solve the problem."

"Mount..." Oh, God, she _knew_ that name. She didn't know whether to bless or curse her eighth grade history teacher. "As in, the volcano that ultimately killed a combined total of somewhere around _one hundred and two thousand people_? Made the year after into the Year Without a Summer? _That_ Mount Tambora?"

"It's good to know that your father wasn't neglecting your educational needs in his quest to hide you from me," Titania commented. "Yes, that one. The only positive is that our universe would most likely be equally toxic to anyone or anything living on the other side, so nothing has ever attempted to cross over."

Her head was spinning. This was just too big... She clung to the fact that, if nobody on either side _wanted_ the Gate open, it wasn't likely to be a factor in the coming confrontation... because, even knowing what she now did, she couldn't just let those people die. Not when there might be another way. Before she could figure that out, though, she needed to know more about what she was up against. "And, the dean?"

"The one currently calling herself Lilita Morgan is the present custodian of the Gate. After the previous caretaker's death in 1551, she was given the task."

Not sure she wanted to know, Laura, sighing, nonetheless asked, "What happened in 1551?"

"The Valletta tornado in Malta. The death toll was six hundred."

"But... That's not even _close_ to being as bad as what happened on her watch!"

"That was caused by one of her 'offspring' seeking a weapon to use against her, leaving a trail of shattered minds behind him as he fled. However, it is because of this that, when Silas University was established in 1871, the Summer Society was established as an outpost to prevent anyone from physically or magically accessing the Gate, and to monitor and protect those not intended to be sacrificed to the Light."

"And the Zetas...?"

"Are a fraternity."

"Oh." Laura blinked. "I just thought that, since you were keeping an eye on the kind of evil vampire in charge of the death gate, that maybe there were other, er, beings that were, too."

"They may well be, but thusfar, Summer alone plays an active role in doing so."

"But no one even knows where the Gate _is_ , anymore!" she objected. "You'd left them alone for so long, they'd forgotten that they were supposed to do more than just protect girls from drunken frat boys, until I got here! And... Winter's really okay with this?"

Titania momentarily looked vaguely troubled. "It is well that you arrived when you did, then," she decided. "As for Winter, they owed us for allowing them to remain in power for the entirety of 1816."

Laura was feeling troubled, herself, and unlike her mother, wasn't able to shake it off. "Well... Isn't that why you sent me here? To try and fix things?"

The Queen's eyebrows rose. "Laura, I did not know where to _find_ you until you set foot in this House. If I had, I would not have waited until you were in another's territory before coming to you myself."

That raised a whole host of questions, all vying for attention in her head. She forced herself to take them one at a time, to _try_ and process all this. "Then... that little glowy ball...?"

Titania smiled sadly. "After so long, to sense you suddenly walk into a place where you were not only surrounded by capable defenders, but able to contact me... It seemed too good to be true. I needed to be sure."

"I talked the door into opening for me and reactivated the defenses," Laura realized.

"Indeed. The House responding to you alone would have been enough. That you subconsciously sensed the weakness in the defenses and acted to correct it... I have no other surviving children; it could have been no one else."

Laura felt like she'd been gut punched. She'd known, through Jenna, that she wasn't Queen Titania's only child. She just hadn't realized she _was_ her only _living_ child. Little wonder she'd been so upset at her being hidden away. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered.

Titania shook her head, perfect hair bouncing flawlessly. "No. You have nothing to apologize for, my little dahlia. The last died well before you were born."

She had no idea what to say to that. She also dimly recalled her mother calling her that before. Dahlias were summer flowers, she thought, but wasn't sure. It would make sense, though. She fought down an impulse to find a bed to jump in, curl up in a ball under the covers, and make the world go away for a while. She didn't have time for that... even if time _did_ seem to have been stopped. Which reminded her... "About what I did..."

"Yes." Her mother looked gravely serious. "Manipulating time as you did does lie within the purview of the Queens. Despite what some may claim, we are not limited to doing so within Faerie - as you can see," she added, gesturing to the frozen Summer Society girls behind Laura. "What I've done is accelerate time for the two of us relative to the rest of the world, to allow us to speak uninterrupted. Freezing time over a widespread area as you did... It is _possible_ , obviously, since you did so, but doing so without assuming the mantle of Summer Princess is... unexpected, to say the least. Even more so that you did so within another's territory."

So she was even more of a freak of nature than she'd thought. Wonderful. "So... The dean's stronger here?"

"Thanks to the power granted to her by the Silas Charter, yes. That is also what binds her to watch over the Gate."

"It does?"

"Did you believe this was a responsibility anyone would actually _want_?" Titania asked, head tilted slightly to the side.

Well, if she put it like that... "I... suppose not, no." It wasn't like she'd thought Ms. Morgan had been doing it out of the goodness of her heart. "So... There's no hope of convincing her to stop?"

"Slaying the Deep One, were she able to accomplish it, would leave the Gate unguarded. She keeps it pacified and slumbering instead, because to let it wake would invite greater disaster. The human deaths would mean nothing to her, but failing in her assigned duty would have... repercussions."

"Assigned by _whom_?"

"Even with time slowed, explaining the power structure of the supernatural world would take far too long to get into now."

Yeah, that figured. Not that she doubted it. Even more so since she knew the Fae couldn't lie. "Then... if someone killed her...?"

"The defense of the Gate and dealing with the Deep One would fall to the Board of Governors."

She didn't know if that would be an improvement or not, though they would likely be... annoyed about it. "And I take it the Charter can't be destroyed?"

"Were that possible, do you believe the dean would not have done so long ago?"

"Right. Didn't think it'd be that easy," she muttered. She took a deep breath. "Okay. So... What _can_ I do? Because the dreams I- the sacrifices tend to have before they're taken tells me those the Light takes are still awake and aware after death. If this has been going on for centuries or longer... I have to do _something_!"

"...they intended to sacrifice you?" Oh, crap, there was that quiet, calm, pleasant, _scary as hell_ tone again.

"They didn't know who I was. Am," she hurriedly said, more to avert any Queen-sized displays of temper than to defend the dean's cabal. "I made Carmilla promise not to say anything."

"Carmilla." To Laura's distress, the tone wasn't going away.

"Um, yeah. She's my, er, replacement roommate." She hesitated - she wasn't sure how to have this conversation with her Dad, who'd raised her and already knew she liked girls, let alone her absentee mother - then added, "Also, we're, um, dating, now."

Unfortunately, Titania's expression only darkened further... and Laura was fairly certain she'd used her only 'Get Out of Jail Free' card earlier, on her father. "The former Countess Karnstein is infamous, both as a ravager of virtue and a betrayer," the Queen said flatly.

"She didn't _ravage_ anything!" Laura defended hotly. "She just _accepted_ what I was _offering_!" This probably wasn't something she should be saying to her mother, but... Well, too late, now. Besides, she was a Faerie Queen. She didn't operate by human societal conventions... right? Either way, she needed to keep anything resembling 'Divine Wrath' away from Carmilla. "She actually _believed_ me when I said that my mother had loved me, and would _never_ have abandoned me!"

"If I could have-"

"Throughout this whole mess, she has been the _only_ thing keeping me together. I would have fallen apart _so many times_ by now if not for her being there for me, helping me, _trusting_ me. And her feelings for me are _real_ , I've _felt_ them!"

Her eyes narrowed. "She drank your blood." It wasn't quite an accusation... but wasn't merely a calm statement of fact, either.

"How did you...?"

"You're one of mine."

That didn't seem to explain anything... until she remembered something else. "Is that why I knew what Gail was thinking the other day, when I somehow sensed her under that invisibility spell of hers?"

Titania nodded regally. "Just so. You have not taken up the mantle, but you _are_ my daughter, and thus, their princess. Even if you elect not to exercise it, you have power over anyone tied to the Court by blood or bargain. They have sworn an Oath to us."

Laura could hear the capitalization in that, telling her it was more of a Big Deal than she might otherwise think. "She didn't really mean to," she said, getting back on topic before she let herself get distracted while Carmilla was still potentially in danger. "I think it's kind of worn off already, anyway." That also, she realized, explained the question of how she'd understood Carmilla's words when she'd evidently been speaking in German; she'd been getting the thoughts behind them, instead. "Look, she's changed a _lot_ over the years, and she's genuinely _helping_ us in this, now! You can't judge her without ever even speaking to her, it isn't fair!"

Titania was silent for a long, worrying moment. "As you wish," she finally said, to Laura's relief. "I suppose the blame for this lies with your father. Had he not restricted you so while growing up, you may well not have entered into a relationship with the first compatible woman who came along."

As much as Laura wanted to protest the less-than-flattering assessment, she decided 'resigned unhappiness' was better than 'active dislike'. Not to mention, Titania was actually acknowledging Carmilla both as a woman (rather than just a vampire) and as compatible. Instead, she said, "I didn't, actually." She looked back at Danny. "Apparently, my affections would have _killed_ **her**."

"That would not be true of the Summer Princess," Titania pointed out with an appraising look at Danny. "Like calls to like, true, but as the Princess, your magic would be so different from hers as to not be a factor."

"Oh." Well, that might have been nice to know sooner. It was a little late for that now, though. "Um, anyway, about my blood... and the dean... I - well, we - wondered if there were, like, some precautions you might be able to help me take...?"

The gravely serious look was back. "Indeed. The power she could gain from your blood, either by using it in a ritual or consuming it directly, would be..." She shook her head, then waved a hand at her. Laura held her breath as the _oddest_ tingling sensation she'd ever felt swept over her. "That will repel any efforts to forcibly take your blood for the nonce. Do _not_ offer it freely, under any circumstances."

She couldn't imagine why she'd want to do _that_ , but didn't ask, for fear that her mother would start naming hypothetical examples. "Thank you," she said instead, because one thing she remembered both her parents agreeing on was the importance of good manners.

It won her a small smile. "You're quite welcome. Starting tomorrow, you will report back here for daily lessons. If you still intend to prevent the sacrifice to the Light, there is _much_ you must learn."

That was certainly true. Though... "But if I can't kill it..."

"The Deep One guards the Gate, true, but its Light is what holds the souls prisoner. Destroy _that_ , and they will be freed."

"I can do that?"

"As you are now? No. Without assuming the mantle of Princess, it is unlikely that you will be able to learn enough in time to prevent the current sacrifice, though you will eventually be able to free their souls along with the others."

Which was unacceptable. She also wasn't missing the way Titania kept pushing the whole Summer Princess thing. "I'm surprised you're not asking me to do so," she commented, knowing that the Queen would know what she meant.

"I cannot," she replied evenly. "As you know, the Fae are not able to speak a lie. What you do not know is that if one asks us something three times, we must make certain that it is true. Even I would be bound to fulfill a promise spoken thrice. Accepting the mantle, however, is something you can only do voluntarily." She held up a cautioning finger. "A word of warning, daughter mine: the beings of Faerie _hate_ being bound thus, and doing so is considered _exceedingly_ rude."

"I'll... keep that in mind." Not that she went around asking the same question multiple times. Really, the only time in recent memory she could recall doing so was with... "Um... Does that work if I do it with _anyone_? Like, say, my vampire roommate?" Because Carmilla hadn't looked happy after she'd asked her multiple times if she was involved in the kidnappings - _three_ times, in fact - but she'd answered truthfully.

Titania raised an eyebrow. "It should not, no. If you believe you truly bound a mortal, even one of the undead, even in a limited fashion, your power is sloshing over into areas that it shouldn't be even more than I'd thought. It is unlikely that you placed any bindings upon her, though, so much as compelled honesty... if you affected her at all. Without examining her, I cannot say."

"Right." That was good to know. She didn't want to even think about forcing Carmilla into doing what she wanted, however unknowingly. And since that was _before_ Carmilla had tasted any of her blood, it was even less likely. "I..." She had no idea where to go from there, she realized. Her head was reeling, and even what little she'd been told was overwhelming her.

Titania nodded understandingly. "You would do well to take time to process things," she advised. "Further questions can wait until tomorrow."

"You... have been a lot more forthcoming than I expected a Queen of Faerie to be, from what I'd heard," Laura admitted.

"Were you not my child, I would not be able to be. It is not something we do for amusement's sake - not entirely, anyway - but something in our very nature. Less so with a Princess, yet..."

Yet, if she did accept the mantle, she'd have to deal with that, too, at least to some degree. One more reason not to, she supposed. "You can't go yet, though," she blurted out before Titania could just disappear again.

"As much as I would like nothing more than to spend more time with you-"

"I'm not talking about me." Though hearing that, and knowing it _had_ to be the truth, made her feel warm inside. "I'm not the only one here you abandoned." She slanted another look at the Summers. "And unlike me, you always knew where _they_ were."

Titania grimaced, saying nothing.

"They signed on to serve you - to all but worship you - even while you ignored them," Laura continued. She was too worn out to feel the righteous indignation she'd experienced before, but her simple honesty and quiet pleas might have been even more effective. "If nothing else, they at least deserve _acknowledgement_."

After a long moment, the Queen sighed. "You're right," she admitted. She smiled fondly at her daughter. "You do have your father's heart, don't you? That was what first drew me to him." Before Laura could figure out how to react to that, Titania absently gestured with one hand... and this time, she was paying enough attention to feel an ever-so-slight tingle as normal time resumed.

Danny blinked in surprise. Laura supposed that, from the Summers' perspective, she must have suddenly jumped a couple feet to the side, and instantaneously acquired red, puffy eyes from crying. "Laura? Wh-" She broke off as it finally sank in that Laura wasn't standing there _alone_ , and there was only one person the inhumanly beautiful woman _could_ be. She inhaled sharply, sinking to one knee. The rest of the Summers rapidly followed suit. "My Queen," she said tremulously. "I..."

As much as Laura's natural instinct was to tell them to stop that, she kept her peace. Titania _was_ the Summer Queen, and they _were_ sworn to her, so this _was_ appropriate behavior. She didn't _like_ it, but she accepted it. Danny doing so was unacceptable for another reason, though. "Danny, you're still hurt," she began, but Titania placed a hand on her shoulder, quieting her.

"I'm fine, Laura," Danny insisted, eyes still trained on the floor. The pallor of her skin disagreed with that statement, however.

"Rise," Titania told them. Commanded them, really. They did so, looking at her with awe and wonder. Two of Danny's sisters - Laura didn't know their names, having never met them before - discreetly helped her up. "It has been some time since I last stood in this House," she continued, surveying the assembled Summers with quiet approval. "Yet, in all that time, you've not faltered in your duty, nor your commitment to it." Even if, Laura thought with a slight internal wince, they'd lost track of _exactly_ what that duty was. She was going to have a _lot_ to talk about with them later. "I am proud of you." She thought she caught sight of a few tears of joy among the throng.

Something occurred to her, though. Since she had Titania _right there_ and all... "She's hurt because of me," she said quietly. "Can you maybe...?"

"Laura, don't worry about it." Danny sounded like she was trying not to be mortified about being singled out like that in front of their beloved Queen. "I just need some rest, and I'll be good as new."

"If my daughter seeks to redress a wrong committed, however unintentionally, I'll not dissuade her from doing so," Titania commented mildly. Danny's mouth snapped shut and she braced herself, but all the Queen did was step forward and place a gentle kiss on her forehead. Danny blinked in surprise, and Laura relaxed as the color visibly came back into her complexion. "My duties, alas, do currently call me elsewhere," she announced to the rapt Summer Society. To Laura, she added, "Be back here tomorrow morning. And Laura?"

"Um, y-yes?"

Her smile didn't quite match the hardness in her eyes. "Do give your father my regards," she said coolly.

Then she was gone.

* * *

Carmilla did not possess magic. She could not sense magic. Really, all of her knowledge on the subject came from second- or third-hand sources.

Despite that, when Laura abruptly _vanished_ from the room after her desperate cry for them to stop as she'd slugged Will, she just _knew_ what had to have happened. She could only hope Laura had done what both she and the Summers had been suggesting for days, now, and gone to call her mother, because there would be no hiding _this_ , and the Dean was _not_ stupid. She'd know this was _not_ something a low-level magic user could do.

Will was a little slower on the uptake. "What the...?" he wondered, rubbing his sore jaw. She probably could have cracked it if she'd hit him harder, but that would have been far more difficult to explain to Maman.

It was probably a non-issue, now. Giving him an annoyed look, she stalked past him - taking a bit of pleasure from the way he subconsciously flinched away from her as she passed - and poked her head out the now open door. Sure enough, there stood a bewildered Cassandra. The second Will had mentioned her, Carmilla had known she'd be _somewhere_ nearby. "Hope you were close enough _this time_ ," she began acerbically. "Because I don't think we'll be _getting_ another chance like this."

"I... Um, y-yes, I... I think so," Cassandra stammered. Carmilla buried her anxiety as best she could - unless she killed them both, there was nothing she could do to keep Maman from learning about _whatever_ it was that Laura had just done. And even if that _did_ sound rather appealing...

"Good. Then both of you can get lost." She shot Will a glare. "I am in _no_ mood for this."

"Aw, someone not getting any, tonight?" Will cooed with mock sympathy. Tellingly, however, he did not linger, and stayed as far away from her as he could while edging out the door.

It took all her self-control to close it normally, rather than slamming it shut behind him. She flopped down on her bed, fuming silently. Of all the bone-headed, idiotic, imbecilic... She should have killed him, she thought. She should have killed him years ago. They didn't need someone in the Zetas _that_ badly, did they? Unlike the Summers, they'd _never_ posed a threat. If any believed in the supernatural, they obviously still weren't smart enough to figure out what was happening. Why her mother insisted on keeping such a close eye on them...

There was a knock at the door. She ignored it. The knock came again. She continued to ignore it... until the door opened. "Oh, that is it," she ground out, standing and facing the door... and freezing, because standing in the open doorway...

She didn't know the woman - someone who looked like _that_ , she would remember, even if she'd only seen her in passing - but somehow, she still knew who it was, who it _had_ to be. And while she was glad to know that Laura had finally done the sensible thing...

"Miss Karnstein," Queen Titania began.

...she just suddenly wasn't sure it would work out well for _her_.

"I believe we need to talk regarding your intentions toward my daughter."


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

"Queen Titania," Carmilla began, trying not to sound as nervous as she felt. It was likely a wasted effort, but she had to at least _try_. She dropped into a proper curtsy, while straining to remember anything and everything her parents had taught her about interacting with nobility. It would be centuries out of date by now, but the Fae, to her knowledge, were very much traditionalists, in that respect. "I... apologize for the state of the room. I was not expecting you."

"Indeed," the Summer Queen said dryly. Carmilla took that as her cue to rise. "Your reputation precedes you, Miss Karnstein. Had you been expecting me, I'm fairly certain you would be on your way out of the country right now."

The remark stung, but... "I am neither stupid, nor suicidally overconfident," she replied as evenly as she could manage. "I also don't think I'd get very far if I tried, however, so I might well not bother wasting the effort."

"You wouldn't." That could have been a threat or a simple agreement; she couldn't tell.

Either way, her only hope at getting through this in one piece was if Titania wanted her to. _Here's hoping Laura was right about her Mom's feelings for her being real..._ "So... You wanted to talk to me about Laura?"

"As I said, your reputation precedes you."

Um... Uh-oh. Maybe she _shouldn't_ want the Queen to care that much for her daughter? But she couldn't wish for something that would affect Laura like that. "People exaggerate."

"Do they?" By this point, she'd walked into the room, shutting the door behind her - for privacy as much as to make sure Carmilla wouldn't make a foolish effort at escaping, probably.

"Yes." She hesitated, then admitted, "I've been one of them, sometimes, to try and save someone from my mother."

"I refer more to your habit of seducing girls, having your way with them, then discarding them."

She could have pointed out that every single one of those girls had _thoroughly_ enjoyed themselves. She could have said that, being a vampire, she did need to eat, so why not have some fun in the process? She could have made it clear that, while she may have 'hunted' the girls - because, again, she _was_ a vampire - she didn't kill them. She could even have reminded Titania that the beings of Faerie had nasty reputations of their own, herself included.

But she was pretty sure that a loving mother confronting the bad girl who'd seduced her daughter didn't want to hear any of that. Instead, she merely said, "They weren't Laura."

"No, they weren't," Titania agreed, a distinct note of warning in her voice. Carmilla swallowed nervously, but she wasn't done, yet. "Laura was quite adamant that I could not judge you without even speaking to you. Thusfar, I am not impressed."

"I don't know what I can do to change that," Carmilla replied with a small shrug. Simple honesty, she decided, was probably her best course right then. The Queen would probably somehow _know_ if she was lying, anyway, as Laura had, so why needlessly antagonize her? "Laura... is not like anyone I have ever met - and no, I'm not talking about her magic. My feelings began developing long before that ever manifested." Talking openly about her emotions was rather anathema to her, but if that was what it took to keep from being smote where she stood, she'd do it. Hell, she'd do it for _Laura's_ sake... which was something of a surprise to her. She hadn't thought she'd fallen for the girl so deeply, already. "In well over a century, she'd the only one I've ever found worth saving. More than that, she knows who - _what_ \- I am... and doesn't care. She's looked me right in the eyes and made it clear that _she doesn't care_ that I'm a vampire. Do you have _any_ idea...?" She was at a loss for words to finish the sentence, but she wasn't being set on fire, so presumably the Queen understood, at least to some degree, what that meant to her.

She was pretty sure what she was about to say next would toss any goodwill she might have earned out the window, though. "I have no intention of letting anyone or anything hurt her, if I can avoid it... which is why I'm not going anywhere, whether you like it or not."

Titania's eyes narrowed slightly, and she took a few steps closer. Carmilla could actually feel the heat radiating off of her, like standing out in the midsummer sun. "No?" she asked in a quiet, calm, dangerous tone.

She was sweating - and not from the heat - but she stood her ground. "No," she confirmed. "You may not like it - hell, you may not like _me_ \- but I care about Laura, and I'm not going to just abandon her." Now Carmilla's eyes narrowed. "She doesn't react well to that. You may have noticed."

"I have." That was it. No explanation was offered for her absence, no excuses given. She may have already provided one or both to Laura herself, though, and _she_ was the one who deserved them. "You're certain of this position?" she asked quietly. "It may well end badly for you, for reasons that have nothing to do with me."

Carmilla wasn't quite sure what _that_ meant - though Fae being cryptic was nothing new, she supposed - but it didn't matter. "I am." If nothing else, she reflected as calm resignation settled upon her, Titania might kill her, but it would be quick and clean. If her mother discovered she was actively betraying her, on the other hand...

Lilita Morgan liked taking her time, in such cases. Her previous punishment would seem like a slap on the wrist in comparison.

"I see." And the hell of it was, if she was anything like her daughter, she probably saw a lot more than Carmilla wanted. She paused for a long, silent minute... then the oppressive heat in the room began fading away. "Then, as my daughter has requested, you will be given a chance to prove yourself."

Carmilla didn't sigh in relief, but only because she wouldn't be able to relax until she was alone. "Thank you, Your-"

Titania leaned in closer. " _ **A** _ chance," she repeated, stressing the singular. Carmilla could smell the hair on her own head beginning to be singed.

"I understand." And she did. Someone - some _thing_ \- like her was probably _not_ want the Queen of the Summer Court wanted for her baby girl. That she was being offered a chance to show that she was worthy of a spot at the princess's side was nothing short of astonishing to her. In truth, she wasn't sure that she _was_ , but for Laura's sake, she'd try to be. "I will be monitoring the situation as it develops. Closely." To Carmilla's relief, the Queen finally pulled back before she burst into flame, or something.

She hadn't missed the implied threat, either. "There... may be some things Laura doesn't _want_ her mother watching," she suggested carefully. Before Titania's expression could darken _too_ much, she continued, "You may not have been there as she grew up, for whatever reason, but she _has_ grown up."

"I am aware." She just as obviously wasn't happy about it, and didn't want to think about her daughter having a sex life anymore than Laura likely _wanted_ her thinking about it.

"I don't have any intention of biting her, if that helps."

"Even attempting to do so would be... unwise."

So Laura had managed to take some precautions in that respect, after all. Good. "Glad to hear it." She paused. "Um, my mother's going to be hearing about what Laura did very shortly, if she hasn't already..." She'd told Laura that she wouldn't say anything, and she wasn't going to try and weasel out of that. However, that meant she had no idea what to say when the dean inevitably called to ask her about it. If Titania had any suggestions on that front, she was all ears.

"Laura is my daughter," the Summer Queen said simply. "As such, what she can do, and what she is to be taught, would be an internal matter of the Summer Court. Unless she is in the process of actively disrupting the current sacrifice, your 'mother' and her minions are not to touch her - and your 'mother' is fully aware of that."

"And if we reach a point where she _is_ doing that?" Because she had no idea what, exactly, fell under the umbrella of 'disrupting the sacrifice'... but she knew Laura well enough by that point to know it _would_ happen, eventually.

Titania looked at her for a long moment. "At that point, you'd be too busy fighting for your lives to worry about any such questions," she finally replied. "Laura would only have the authority to openly challenge the sacrifice as Princess of the Summer Court. Should she not do so, you will be limited to whatever assistance you can scrounge up on campus. As things stand now, you would fail."

"Well... Thank you for that," she drawled. "You must be the optimist in the family." She was also a Faerie Queen, so Carmilla knew better than to just accept what she was saying at face value. The obvious interpretation was that she should try to talk Laura into becoming the capital-P Princess of Summer, and while that might just be enough to let them win, she might also be implying that there was another solution they should be looking for. She didn't even waste time wondering why the Queen wouldn't just come out and say so - between the restrictions on what a Faerie Queen could and couldn't do (about which she would admit to knowing very little) and the typical Fae inclination to make bargains whenever possible (no one seemed to know _why_ they were compelled to do so, much like their mysterious compulsion to maintain a balance, especially in things such as giving gifts; nothing given by the Sidhe came without a price) that would be an utterly useless question - instead wondering where to start looking for it.

She'd have to talk it over with Laura when she got back.

Titania smiled faintly - had she not been the Summer Queen, Carmilla might have called it a smirk - and inclined her head. "I shall take my leave, now." She offered one final warning glare. "But I will be watching." Then she was gone, a rush of displaced air the only sign she'd been there at all.

Carmilla waited a few moments to be sure, then staggered over to her bed and dropped down on it, struggling to get her frazzled nerves under control. That, she decided, had probably gone about as well as it could have. She hadn't been incinerated, turned into a rat and dropped into a wolf pit, banished to a far-off land, or even told to stay away from Laura. Provided nothing happened to screw things up, they might just come through this alright.

Experience, however, had taught her to always be prepared for bitter disappointment.

* * *

Will Luce was not having the best day. Even with his accelerated healing, his jaw was still aching, a testament to how hard Carmilla had socked him. (He might mock the Kitty, but he couldn't deny that she packed a wallop.) He was stuck escorting Cassandra back to his mother, which meant not only having to put up with her inane chatter, but also not being able to shut her up, for fear of Mother's wrath. He'd gotten another text from Kirsch, who was still moping about his dead girlfriend, and surprised himself by actually feeling... somewhat guilty about it.

And now this.

"For the last time, no!" he snarled at... What _was_ that twerp's name, anyway? He _thought_ it started with a G...

"Oh, come on, man, give me a chance!" Honestly, the guy was as tall and beefy as anyone on campus; why did he insist on acting like such a whiny little bitch?

Gritting his teeth, wishing mightily that he could just tear the guy's throat out and be done with it, he ground out, "No, you cannot pledge. You can't pledge because you didn't rush. Rush week was at the beginning of the year, with most starting the process over the summer. We've already met our quote for the year, so there won't be another rush in the spring. Try again next year." God willing - or Mother willing, he supposed - he would be allowed to 'graduate' this year, and not be around to put up with whatever his name was by then.

"But-"

"I said no. Theo said no. Hell, even _Kirsch_ said no." And if anyone would have felt sorry for the guy and given him a chance, it was Wilson Kirsch.

Before the twerp could say one more thing and push him over the edge, Cassandra decided to finally make herself useful. "Gary, enough," she said softly. Ah, so _that_ was his name. Gary... something-or-other. "You'll only harm your chances for next year if you continue pushing. Perhaps you might think of ways to demonstrate that you would make a good brother by then, instead?"

Will decided to take back a good 78% of every bad thing he'd ever said or thought about Cassandra as Gary finally, blessedly, wandered off, looking thoughtful. "Should have killed him the first time we met," he muttered as they headed into the administration building.

"In time, the school may well regret that you did not," Cassandra stated. "His future is... hazy. But those who seek power or prestige for such petty reasons as he does do not often come to happy ends."

And now she was back to stressing his patience with her psychic bullshit. That hadn't taken long.

The dean was waiting, more or less patiently, alone in her office. Patient was usually something she was better at than anyone he'd ever known, but Carmilla excelled at testing it. "Well?" she calmly demanded. It was an odd combination, and not one he'd ever seen anyone else manage properly.

"Well, Kitty Cat was right about that bite-sized roommate of hers having magic," he admitted as he dropped into a seat in front of her desk, being careful not to slump like he wanted to. No matter how badly his day was going, Mother insisted on things like manners and posture. "I'd say she's definitely off the menu, if that's a factor." Like Carmilla, this was the first he was hearing of it.

"What level of magic?" This, presumably, was directed at Cassandra, who was sitting next to him. As such, he stayed quiet.

"She stopped time."

He'd never seen anything manage to truly rattle his Mother's composure, but those three simple words apparently came close. Her expression froze, and with it the very air in the office did the same, becoming oppressive and claustrophobic. "Could it be?" she murmured softly, eyes deep and fathomless.

He hated to always be the one who needed to ask. "Could _what_ be?"

"After all this time, a Child of Summer, here...?"

That didn't sound in any way promising. "Dunno. She disappeared."

"I believe she did not intend to stop time as she did," Cassandra offered. "Indeed, based on what Carmilla said, it seems likely she has been having many such accidents, though not as severe. This, more than anything else, would prompt her to seek out her mother."

It finally clicked. Jaw nearly falling open in shock, he exclaimed, "Wait, you mean T-"

"William," the dean interrupted with a tired sigh.

Oh. Right. Names, and all that. "Wouldn't wanna be in Carmilla's shoes, then," he said instead. "Given their more... physical after-hours activities." He shook his head. "I told her that her inability to keep her pants on would get her in trouble, one day." Not that he'd ever envisioned she'd manage to land herself in _that_ level of trouble.

Mother's lips thinned, and she was silent for several moments. "Move on to the next girl on the list," she finally said. "If Mircalla has angered the Summer Queen by tarnishing her daughter's virtue, there is precious little I can do about it."

Which, however true, was fairly cold of her. It was also a total non-surprise. "Does it have to be a girl?" he wondered aloud. "I would _so_ love to feed that Gary guy to the Light."

The dean gave that statement the Look it probably deserved.

"Who _is_ next on the list, anyway?" he asked, switching mental gears as swiftly as he could.

Cassandra picked a binder up off the desk and opened it, flipping through it until she found the List. "Hmm... Hollis is off-limits... that Ringwold girl wasn't suitable... no... no... dead... no... was turned into an ice sculpture... ah, here we go." She looked up, smiling faintly.

"Lola Perry."

* * *

It took a while for Laura to get the Summers caught up on the parts of her talk with her mother that were relevant to them. She was also a little weirded out by the way they were hanging so raptly on her every word. And not just where her mother was concerned, either - _anything_ she said was being treated as almost gospel.

The Council that lead the Summers, at least, seemed to understand that she was still just Laura. Princess or not, nothing else had really changed about her. She was a freshman in college. She had papers due. She had a Lit mid-term to study for.

She just also happened to have a Faerie Queen for a mother, and had inherited absurdly powerful magic that she needed to learn how to control. That didn't make her some kind of religious icon. It made her a girl trying to cope with WAY too much coming at her all at once.

As such, the four of them managed to cut the question and answer session short, escorting Laura out of the room before the rest of the Summers even had a chance to object. "Is there somewhere I can have a few minutes of privacy to pull myself together before I head out?" she asked, head still spinning. "I... think I also have a phone call to make."

She didn't need to say anything else. They all remembered Titania's last words, after all.

She wound up in a small half bathroom on the second floor. Danny hadn't been happy about leaving her alone in such a state, but understood that the only thing that would help was time to process things. (She'd also explained that the reason she couldn't use the Council's meeting room - that secure room she'd stumbled her way into that first night by being polite - was that the wards around it wouldn't allow any cell signals to get in or out, no matter how magically augmented the phone was. Given the great reception she'd gotten in the Library that one time, Laura had begun to wonder if maybe her abilities hadn't manifested a little earlier than she'd thought.)

For a few minutes, she'd just sat on the closed toilet lid, head in her hands, letting her mind spin itself down to something resembling a more normal state. (She knew better than to try and get it to stop forcefully. The more she tried to think of nothing, or avoid thinking about something that was bothering her, the more agitated her thoughts became.) "Okay, pull yourself together, Laura," she muttered. "Things are actually better, now." After all, her mother was alive, she was going to have all the help she needed in learning how her magic worked and how best to use it, and she might just have a chance to save Betty and the other girls, now.

She just needed to do one thing, first. There was one more wound to excise, one more toxin to purge, before she could start healing properly.

The phone rang for longer than usual. (It was fairly late back at home, she realized.) Before she could chicken out and decide to hang up and try again the next day, however, there was the click of a connection being established, and she was greeted with a groggy, "Hello?"

"Hey, Dad." She didn't sound as happy to be talking to him as she usually did.

Naturally, he immediately picked up on that. "Laura? What's wrong?" He sounded much more awake, now.

"Does something have to be wrong? Maybe I just wanted to talk."

"At this time of night?" She could picture him shaking his head. "I'm always glad to hear from you, Pumpkin, but shouldn't you be in bed by now?"

Like she could have slept right then if she'd even wanted to. "Well, there is one thing..." she allowed, trying her best to keep her resurging anger at bay.

"What's that?"

"Mom says 'hi'." Her words were cold and carefully enunciated.

There was almost a full minute of silence over the phone.

Finally, he managed, "Laura, what...?"

"Mom says 'hi'," she repeated. "You know, my mother? _The Summer Queen_?"

Another, longer silence. "...how do you know that?"

"No, how did _you_ hide me from her?" she shot back. It hadn't occurred to her at the time, but while she'd been trying to pull herself together for this call, she'd realized that, given the effort that had to be going into hiding Elsie from the Summer Society, the much more potent mother-daughter connection meant that Titania shouldn't have been able to lose track of her for a few minutes, let alone most of her life.

"...that isn't an over-the-phone conversation, Laura."

She reluctantly admitted that was probably true. Still, she needed _something_ from him. "How _could_ you? How could you _lie_ to me like that? And Mom! All her other children are _dead_! Did you think this wouldn't hurt her?"

"That's _why_ I had to!" he told her, emotion thick in his voice. "Ask her, sometime, just _why_ you're the only one left. Then you'll see why I had to do everything I could to keep you from joining them."

She probably would do that. She wasn't going to let him off the hook just yet, though. "Did you think my magic would never manifest?" she asked angrily. "If there hadn't been a place I could go on campus to get help... I could have killed so many people, by now!"

He sounded more confused than anything as he began, "Your magic should have stayed bou-" He abruptly broke off, sounding like he was choking.

"Dad?" Concern began edging out anger. Something sounded very wrong with her father, and even if she'd known how to use her magic, she thought she was probably too far away to help.

She also hadn't missed his aborted statement. It wasn't hard to fill in the blank, there: her magic had evidently been bound... until she'd begun hanging out with Danny, and had then gone into the Summers' House, and touched that orb...

There was also the fact that he'd literally choked on the word. She did remember what Danny had told her about how a geas worked. If her father _was_ under such a binding... She wouldn't delude herself into thinking that only the Fae could do such a thing, and she didn't know _nearly_ enough about what else was out there to come up with any suspects. Something _else_ to run past Titania later, she supposed. Unless being bound thus, and making Laura angrier with him, was something the Queen herself had done, in place of the punishment Laura had talked her out of.

God, she hated the places her mind took her, sometimes.

He cursed quietly, clearly holding the phone to the side momentarily, before speaking into it again. "Laura, if I could answer your questions, I would," he promised. "Just be careful. I know your mother loves you, but what she thinks is best for you might not be something you'd want."

"Pretty sure I can say that about both of you," she grumbled. "You don't _know_ me, either of you. Not _really_."

"I... suppose that's true, to some degree," he admitted, sounding pained.

"I'll let you know how my lessons go," she promised, because she didn't think she'd be able to stay mad for _that_ long, and he'd probably want to know. After a quick, muted exchange of goodbyes, she hung up.

She felt about as drained as she ever had, emotionally speaking. That was it, she decided. She was done for the day. Time to head out, go back to her room, and find Carm. She needed rest, she needed time to process, and more than that...

She needed to be held.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I indulge in some world building, Laura indulges her creative side, and Carmilla... indulges.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** Now, unlike my Frozen fics, this story does not have characters suddenly bursting into song. It does, however, have Laura splicing a song into her video because she wants to make a training montage. Because I think we all know she'd do that. ;)

Lyrics are _Watch Me Shine_ by Joanna Pacitti.

* * *

It was quiet.

Laura knew she should be getting out of bed - she'd woken up some time ago - but she just couldn't bring herself to move. She still felt wrung out from the previous day's events, a feeling she was heartily sick of. It was early enough that the dorm was quiet and still, so she simply lay there, enjoying the feeling of Carmilla's warmth against her back and the security of the arms wrapped around her, trying to take the peacefulness of the moment into herself as best she could.

God knew tranquility was something in short supply for her, these days.

She'd had quite a bit to tell Carmilla when she'd gotten back to the dorm room last night, and Carm had had a few things to tell her, as well. (In retrospect, she supposed she should have expected Titania to pay Carmilla a visit, especially after what she'd said; she'd just had too much to deal with at once, and her brain had been lagging.) She'd barely had the energy to get undressed, and certainly didn't have it for anything more than that, so it wouldn't have mattered if her mother was watching or not.

That she could have been was a creepy thought, really.

Speaking of her mother, though... She knew she should heading for the Summer Society at some point for her first lesson. Titania hadn't specified when to be there, beyond 'morning', but if she kept lazing in bed the way she wanted to, morning would give way to afternoon before she knew it.

And yet, she wasn't moving.

Carmilla made a quiet noise, snuggling tighter against her, and her heart melted a little. Despite knowing it might rouse her girlfriend, Laura finally moved, squirming a bit until she could turn over and face her. She spent a long moment simply _looking_ at Carmilla, struck, as ever, by the girl's beauty. More than that, though, relaxed in sleep, her face held echoes of an innocence that had been torn cruelly away from her centuries ago.

Her own sleep had not been so peaceful.

She'd honestly thought she was done with the dreams. Between Carmilla's charm, her newly awoken magic, being _definitely_ taken off the sacrifice list... But it seemed at least one or more of the souls held prisoner by the Light recognized that she had at least the potential to set them free, and were going to continue begging for her help.

_So perhaps,_ her mind whispered to her, _you should get your lazy butt in gear and get to your lessons, so that you'll be able to give it?_

Which was true, but... "Don't wanna move," she muttered, somewhat petulantly.

"Works for me."

She wasn't surprised when Carmilla abruptly spoke up, less because she'd sensed she was awake somehow, than because she'd been expecting it since she'd moved. For all her tendencies to sleep past noon, Carmilla was also proving to be a very light sleeper, especially where Laura was concerned. "Of course, if I don't, Mom may come looking for me," she added teasingly.

Carmilla managed not to shudder. Barely.

"Exactly. Still, it is fairly early, yet. I don't want to be waking anyone up when I head over there."

"Even if that would let you avoid any worshipful gazes?"

Hmm. There _was_ that, she supposed. "Even if," she said softly, placing a gentle kiss on Carmilla's lips. "Good morning, by the way."

"Mmm," Carmilla purred. "I _do_ like waking up this way."

Laura had to agree. Even more so once Carmilla again demonstrated what she considered a proper good morning kiss. Maybe she just wasn't used to it, but the kiss wound up scrambling her brain all over again. By the time she got her head back together, Carmilla was stretching in an entirely distracting display, then bonelessly sprawling there, catlike, looking faintly smug. Actually, now that she thought about it, Carmilla engaged in a lot of catlike behavior, didn't she? "Hey, Carm?"

"Yeah?"

"Why did Will call you 'Kitty'?" She'd been too busy freaking out to think anything of it at the time, but now... Well, she was curious.

"Ah." She was quiet for a minute, silently debating something with herself. "In all your reading up on vampires, you probably read about them having the ability to turn into bats and wolves and the like, right?"

"Yeah, but- Wait. You can turn into a kitty cat?" Oh, God, she was going to squee _so hard_ if that was true...

"Not exactly, no." Before she had time to be too disappointed, Carmilla added, "It's more of a panther."

Laura's face lit up. (Only metaphorically, thank goodness. She would have been mortified if she'd _literally_ done so.) "Can I see?" she asked excitedly. She sat up, drew her legs back, and watched Carmilla expectantly.

"It doesn't... bother you?" Carmilla asked uncertainly. Accepting her as a vampire was one thing. Animal transformation, on the other hand...

"Carm, I've been told I can apparently forcibly change people into animals if I ever needed to for whatever baffling reason," Laura pointed out, politely reminding her that she was sitting next to the daughter of a Faerie Queen (who was ever so slowly getting used to that fact), so she couldn't exactly judge her by normal person standards. "Why would it bother me that you don't need my help?"

"You are just..." She shook her head in amazement. Then her form shifted and blurred... and there was a giant black cat on the bed.

Laura inhaled sharply. "Oh, wow..." she said softly, reaching over to run a hand over the panther's silky smooth fur. "I guess it makes sense," she continued - mainly talking to herself - as she scritched behind Carmilla's (Catmilla's?) left ear. "Beautiful person, beautiful cat."

The panther purred, leaning its head against her hand, and she melted all over again. The panther took advantage of her distraction by surging forward, knocking her onto her back, and settling on top of her. "Oof! Hey, now-" The panther began licking her face. She sputtered, laughing, even as she protested, "Hey! Stop that, you!" She managed to get her arms between her and the panther, holding it at bay... though they both knew that, with Carmilla's strength, if she hadn't been playing, that would have accomplished nothing. "If you wanna help me get clean, you're going to need hands." Her voice dropped to a more seductive pitch. "I could use a shower, after all."

The panther regarded her with the same sort of mystic-distance she remembered from when she'd used to have a pet cat, once upon a time, then it blurred and shifted, leaving Carmilla in its place. "Mmm, I like the way you think, Creampuff."

"Again with the food-based nicknames..."

"I can't help that you're so delicious."

She blushed, but was not at all displeased.

* * *

Laura was (metaphorically) walking on air as she exited the dorm - and, for the second time in as many days, nearly collided with LaFontaine. "Huh. Déjà vu," she remarked as she steadied herself.

"I'm not just getting in, though," LaF countered, amused. Nor had they missed Laura's 'I love the world!' attitude, and correctly guessed its cause. "Just had a quick errand to run."

With LaF, that could mean anything from needing to feed their specimens in the lab to restocking on whatever cleaning product Perry had just used up. (As they never had to clean, and Perry knew to leave any Biology-related material they brought back to their room alone, they never complained about this.) Still, it was barely mid-morning, yet, and despite her late start (and Carmilla-assisted shower), she was only just heading out. To be coming back from doing something... "Do you even sleep?" she wondered, only half-joking.

"Don't have much choice. Hard to get much in the way of caffeine - or anything with polysyllabic chemicals, for that matter - with Perry around."

"On the plus side, scurvy will never be a problem," she replied, smiling as she remembered Perry's reaction to the contents of her own fridge.

They snorted. "There's that. And while she may usually go in more for herbal teas, she can also make the _best_ hot chocolate from scratch. She doesn't acknowledge much of anything from her Wiccan phase, but I'm glad that made the cut."

At first, Laura honestly didn't think she'd heard that right. "Wiccan phase?" she echoed.

"Yeah," LaF confirmed, much to Laura's confusion. "For a while in high school, and some of our freshman year here. She's the one who actually talked me into coming here."

"...we _are_ talking about the same Perry, right?"

"Oh, yeah. Couldn't wait to get here. 'Oh, Susan, Silas is amazing! Did you know they have the most comprehensive occult and supernatural research program in the world?' Always going on about visiting the Otherworld, and such."

Laura stared at her for a long, long moment. "...yeeeeaaahhh... See, I'm talking about the Perry who refused to believe vampires or magic were real, and went catatonic when she was proved wrong." And... the Otherworld? Was that another term for Faerie, or somewhere else entirely?

LaF shrugged. "Something happened during freshman year - I don't know what - and after that, she wouldn't even acknowledge that she'd _ever_ been interested in any such things."

"I thought you said she was always interested in things being normal?"

"Since we were five. The more normal, the better."

"Well... Good for her, then, for considering Wicca to be normal." Still, the disconnect between Freshman Perry and Junior Perry was... jarring. Even more so the fact that LaF could acknowledge how different both were, claim Perry had always been the way she was now _and_ most definitely hadn't, and not seem to see anything odd about that.

Even the weirdness that was Silas wasn't enough to explain that.

"Well, I won't keep you from... whatever," she said, stepping to the side. "I need to get to the Summer Society for my first magic lesson." She paused as something occurred to her. "You brought a sample of the parasite-ridden brain goo to them, right?"

"Yeah. Evidently, nobody else on campus is infected. I think they were making little charms or something to let them know if that changes. You think they'd let me study one in the lab?"

Having no idea if that would even be safe, let alone a good idea, Laura could only shrug. "I can ask, I suppose."

"Awesome. Thanks."

After a quick exchange of goodbyes, Laura hurried on her way to the Summers. She was met at the front door by a freshman who kept staring at her with a borderline worshipful gaze, which was starting to bother her before she even got to the stairs.

By the time she'd gotten to the summoning room, she'd upgraded from bothered to disturbed.

Thankfully - blessedly - Danny was waiting for her, and chased the girl - Carol, she called her - off with a few well placed words. "Do they _really_ have to keep doing that?" Laura asked once they were alone.

"Well, you are-"

"No," she interrupted. "Awe, amazement... That, I get. I don't _like_ it, but I get it. _That_ , though... She was looking at me like she thought she should be performing human sacrifices in my name, or something."

"Give her time to get used to the idea of you being around," Danny offered, though, privately, she wasn't sure that would be enough. Part of her did understand Carol's feelings, though. She'd _seen_ the kind of power lurking within Laura, after all. Seen it on a deep, fundamental level. Carol wasn't the first, and probably wouldn't be the last, to be enticed by it.

Fortunately, Laura wasn't the sort who'd ever actively desire that sort of thing. Otherwise, things would get... interesting.

"Can I ask you something?" Laura suddenly wondered.

"Sure," Danny said with a shrug. They seemed to have some time, yet.

Laura was quiet for a moment, as if not sure how to phrase her question. "Did you know Perry during her freshman year?" she finally asked.

Danny was instantly wary, which was an answer of sorts all by itself. "Not personally, no," she said carefully. "I think she was under a consideration to be a Summer at one point, though."

"What _happened_ to her?" Laura demanded. "I ran into LaF on my way here, and from what they said-"

"Wait," Danny interrupted. "They were talking about this? Unprompted?"

"Well, they mentioned Perry's Wiccan phase," Laura replied, confused. She wasn't sure how she'd expected this conversation to go, but... this wasn't it. "Then I started asking questions, because, well, you _saw_ her reaction to the weirdness of Silas in my video. LaF didn't seem to see _anything_ odd about simultaneously claiming Perry was _and_ wasn't always about normality."

"I should hope not," Danny muttered. She shook her head. "They shouldn't have even said anything at all."

Laura's eyes narrowed. "What did you do?" she accused.

"Me? Nothing. I wasn't part of the leadership back then, and they kept the specifics quiet out of respect for Perry's privacy." Then, knowing Laura wasn't about to drop the matter until she had _some_ kind of explanation - her loyalty to her friends was a trait any Summer worth the name could respect - she continued, "As I understand it, she'd been trying to attract the attention of some kind of otherworldly being... and succeeded."

Suspicion gave way to alarm. "What happened?"

"Like I said, I don't know the details. It was evidently fairly traumatizing, though. There are a lot of other worlds out there, and many of their denizens do _not_ play nicely with humanity - and no, I don't know which one she contacted."

She sighed. There went her next question.

"I only heard about it afterward, but evidently she came to us for help. Given how badly she was coping, the decision was made to lock those memories away. Her own mind took it one step further, going into denial about everything supernatural. I can only guess that, because they're so close, the spell then spread to LaFontaine. That, or the leadership knew they'd never leave Perry alone about it otherwise."

"So... That wasn't weirdness overload so much as it was PTSD breaking through whatever magic you guys worked on her?" Laura winced. It wasn't like she'd been laughing at Perry then - or at any point since - but still, she couldn't help but feel guilty about causing her distress. Even if she _hadn't_ had any way of knowing that would, or even could, happen.

"Probably, yes. Since the spell is obviously still in effect, though, like I said, LaF shouldn't have mentioned anything about that part of their shared past, even if they _didn't_ find anything unusual about it." Preempting Laura's next question, she added, "No, it isn't your fault. You only asked any questions _after_ they mentioned Perry used to be Wiccan, right?"

"Well, yeah..."

"There you go. If the spell is unraveling for whatever reason, it isn't because of you. I'll look into it."

"Thanks, Danny." That would be one less thing she had to worry about, at least.

"Not just doing it for you," she replied with a shrug. "But you're welcome."

And that, Laura couldn't help but think, was one of the quintessential differences between Danny and Carmilla. If she decided to do anything to help someone else, like Perry, it probably would be _entirely_ for Laura's sake. She didn't know how to feel about that, so, as was her custom, she set it aside to deal with later.

It was just as well. A moment later, there was a shivering sensation in her head, and then her mother was standing there. This time, though, she had someone else with her: a man, with the delicately pointed ears and canted feline eyes that marked him as one of the sidhe (as a quick Google search the other day had named them), the high lords of Faerie. His hair was a silvery color (the exact shade seemed to shift with the light touching it), and hung longer than her own; his eyes were so dark they almost seemed to blend with his pupils - that, or he didn't _have_ any irises. His outfit, however, was surprisingly modern: a white button-up shirt, green jeans, and dark green leather boots. There was a sword in the sheath hanging from his belt on his left side.

"Good morning, Laura," Titania began with a smile. Danny was only given a vague nod of acknowledgement, but that seemed more than enough for her.

"Good morning," Laura replied slowly, still eyeing the new arrival. "Who's he?"

"You've inherited your father's subtlety as well, I see." She shot Laura a look of fond amusement. "This is Kheelan. He'll be your instructor."

"Oh." She couldn't hide her disappointment. "I was kind of hoping that..." She'd wanted her mother to teach her. It could have been a bonding exercise.

Titania looked apologetic, but didn't change her mind. "While I would enjoy that, you are not yet at a stage where I could safely instruct you without devoting my attention to nothing else. With the shifting of the seasons, that, regrettably, is not feasible."

It went without saying that accepting the mantle of Summer Princess would put her at that stage.

"He will also remain nearby, should you require his assistance, and keep me informed of your progress."

Ah. "So, you're assigning me a chaperone, basically."

"Considering that, among many other factors, you're sharing living space with your vampiric paramour, I deemed it appropriate to make alternate accommodations to ensure your safety, instead of directly watching over you myself." Translation: Yes, but it's this, or Mom watching you all the time and preventing you from _ever_ getting busy with your girlfriend.

Put that way, it did beat the alternative.

"Wait, sharing space with her _what_?!" Danny asked, stunned... and Laura realized that, somehow, despite everyone else picking up on it, Danny evidently hadn't _known_ she'd hooked up with Carmilla.

_Oh, crap..._ That was **not** a discussion she felt like having right then. "So, lessons?" she prompted Kheelan, almost desperately.

He nodded. "If you'll come with me, Your Highness?" he asked, gesturing what looked like empty air. For once, she didn't protest the title, or his seemingly directing her toward nothing - she could sense _something_ there, if she tried, even if she didn't know what it was - she just wanted to get moving before Danny found her voice again.

Maybe it was cowardly, but she had enough to deal with already, didn't she? That could wait.

She stepped through an invisible door of some kind. The world twisted and bent around her, and she felt an odd shunting motion. The second or two she was in transit seemed to last ages, from her perspective, then she stumbled out of... whatever that had been, into, well, somewhere else.

Ash drifted down through the air like snow.

"Where are we?" she asked softly, not wanting to attract any attention from anyone or any thing that might conceivably be nearby. Not that she saw anything. Or heard anything, for that matter. Wherever they were was utterly silent, without even any wind. The landscape was featureless and misshapen, buried under a thick layer of ash. "And... what _was_ that?"

"It _was_ a small village in the land you call South America," Kheelan told her. His voice was crisp and to the point. He might have fit in well among the Silas faculty, she decided, or at least gotten along well with Professor Cochrane. "A known terrorist group recently claimed credit for its destruction. We arrived here by reaching through Faerie to, essentially, bridge two points on Earth."

So it was more like a really short range Stargate than a Star Trek-style transporter. Cool. "So... why are we here, then?" It was tragic, yes, but also clearly too late to do anything about it.

"Come with me." He marched toward what she slowly decided had once been a stone structure. A church, maybe?

She did her best to ignore the small lumps scattered here and there as they walked. They could have been rocks. Or... they could have been peoples' remains.

She started to feel sick.

Kheelan stopped near a ruined wall. "There."

"Wh-" She broke off, gagging, as she suddenly was hit in the face with a stench like rotten eggs, but worse. "Is that... sulfur?" she choked out.

He nodded grimly. "And brimstone. Proof that someone employed the Fires of Destruction here."

Sulfur and brimstone...? _Wait..._ "Some kind of... hellfire?"

"That is one term for it, yes. It has others."

"Apparently, most things do."

"Indeed. We are here so that you can begin to learn to recognize the signatures of those who might mean you harm. As you will instinctively recognize those of Winter, we're starting here."

"Wait... There's an _actual Hell_?" she asked, eyes wide. "Does that mean that...?" She nodded upward.

He held up a hand. "We shan't dwell on the metaphysical today."

"'Metaphysical'? But..." She waved a hand toward the ruined church.

"The beings in question here come from another dimension, just as we do," he replied. "Whether or not it is the actual one mentioned in some mortal religious texts, I cannot say. Its inhabitants have been labeled demons and the like by mortals, whom they do often torture and sacrifice for pleasure or power. They _are_ physical beings, however, and _can_ be killed. Particularly by a greater power, such as yourself."

"And they'll know it," she realized. Which explained why she'd need to be able to identify them.

"Precisely." He paused. "I am obligated to mention that, while they might seek to eliminate you before you become a threat, should you accept the mantle of Princess, they would be unable to do so, as the Queens - or Queens-to-Be - are truly immortal, rather than just ageless, as your lover is."

That... was something she couldn't even _begin_ wrapping her brain around. "Then... What happened to my siblings?"

"Unfortunately, princess, that is not a question I can answer for you."

Of course it wasn't. Her mother would probably agree to give her that information if and only if she accepted the mantle of Princess.

Maybe she could find someone not under the Summer Queen's power who could tell her. In the meantime, she directed the conversation back to the, er, _other_ otherworldly beings. "They're not _all_ evil, are they?" She couldn't believe that. There was good everywhere, she felt, if you just knew where to look for it.

"One could argue that none of them are evil, simply possessing of a type of morality that humans would not recognize," he said evenly. "But no, they do not all feel uniformly the same. Nor would those of Winter... or even Summer."

So there could be Winter fae who just wanted to make friends, and bad eggs in Summer. Fun. "So, why do I need to learn to recognize their energy signatures, or whatever? Are they likely to blend in with the student body?"

"The Fae are not the only ones capable of crossbreeding with humanity," he warned. "The products of such unions might look, even smell, entirely human."

It really was always something. "Great. But, since my ultimate goal is to prevent the sacrifice to the Light, maybe we could get on with this, so that we can get to me learning what I need to know to do that?"

He smiled faintly. She wasn't sure if that was good or bad. "As you wish, Your Highness."

Either way, it was probably going to hurt.

* * *

"So, magic lessons have been going on for about a week and a half, now," Laura said into her camera. She didn't plan on putting this video up online - not yet, at least - but since her heritage _had_ become relevant to the story, her journalistic integrity saw no choice but to bring Professor Cochrane, at least, up to speed on everything she'd previously left out.

It took a while.

"Since I couldn't exactly do my training here, one of the first things I insisted on learning that first day was how to magic myself up a Go Pro," she continued, ignoring her singed shirt and windblown hair as best she could. (Her latest session had involved learning how to shield herself from various attacks, fireballs a particular favorite.) "I, um, wasn't exactly that great, in the beginning."

 

_Ooh.. I'm not_

_You average type of girl_

_I'm gonna show the world the strength in me_

_That sometimes they can't see_

_I'm about to switch my style_

_And soon things may get wild_

_But I'll prove I can conquer anything_

_So from my head to toe I'm taking full control_

_I'll make it on my own_

_This time_

_(Better watch me shine)_

 

The training room was as featureless and white as any room could be. Her first lesson (in combat-related magic) had involved learning precision. They might not be many, Kheelan explained, but there _were_ foes out there who'd be able to exhaust her if she just kept spraying energy to accomplish something that only actually required a tiny fraction to do.

She'd found she could conjure up firestorms and gale-force winds easily enough, even in an inside room, but he hadn't been satisfied... and had proven that even someone as comparatively low-level as he was could deflect them, if they knew how. So he'd made her practice over and over, narrowing her focus, strengthening her will, until she stopped being so horribly wasteful.

She'd also discovered that yes, she _could_ exhaust herself, if she pushed hard enough, and had nearly sleepwalked through her classes that day.

Because _of course_ she had to deal with her normal scholastic workload as well.

"I still wasn't in any shape to confront, well, anyone," she told the camera. "But it was a start, right?"

 

_Better watch out_

_Going for the knockout_

_And I won't stop_

_Till I'm on top now_

_Not gonna give up_

_Until I get what's mine_

_Better check that I'm about to upset_

_And I'm hot now_

_So you better step back_

_I'm taking over_

_So watch me shine_

 

"Now, this was when I started learning more about energy manipulation," she explained in a voiceover, watching the footage from another session. Rather than just use energy from within herself, Kheelan had also wanted her to know how to draw it in from outside. Her magic made her part of the natural world, he explained, and she should use that to her advantage.

It took almost an hour for her to stop setting random things on fire.

"I know, I know. But as time went on, I did get better."

The next shot showed a distinctly battered and singed Kheelan eyeing a rather chagrined Laura.

"Not right away, mind you. But I did get better. Eventually."

 

_So Get ready_

_Here I come_

_Until the job is done_

_No time to waste_

_There's nothing stopping me_

_Oh_

_But you don't hear me though_

_So now it's time to show_

_And prove I'm gonna be the best I can be_

_So from my head to toe_

_My mind body and soul_

_I'm taking full control_

_This time_

 

"Now, here we switched locations, operating on the theory that I might better be able to connect with nature if I was, you know, _in nature_."

They were in a meadow. She still didn't know exactly where - somewhere in the American northeast, she thought, but couldn't even be sure of that - but it was a wide open space with absolutely nothing around.

Nothing but the flowers that spontaneously spawned as soon as she set foot among the grass, anyway.

"Yeah... That. Apparently, that _is_ going to be an ongoing thing, though I should, in time, learn how to avoid the energy leakage that causes that."

It was _much_ easier for her to affect the wind in subtle ways when there was already a breeze to start with. By the end of that session, even Kheelan had been impressed with her delicate touch in that respect... and she was finding he didn't impress easily.

Which made him a good teacher for a rookie princess, she supposed.

"He couldn't really tell me much more about the Light than I already knew, unfortunately. Not sure if that means he doesn't know, or he's under orders not to say anything. I'm starting to think there _is_ some kind of weapon that we might be able to use for that, though, based on the way both he and my Mom keep avoiding the subject."

 

_Better watch out_

_Going for the knockout_

_And I won't stop_

_Till I'm on top now_

_Not gonna give up_

_Until I get what's mine_

_Better check that I'm about to upset_

_And I'm hot now_

_So you better step back_

_I'm taking over_

_So watch me shine_

 

"Here, I'm starting to learn the basics of shields. And I do mean starting." That hadn't gone nearly as smoothly. She'd gotten the basic idea of what he meant when he showed her how he gathered up energy and focused his will into a protective barrier, but once it was her turn to try...

At first, she'd had trouble stopping anything heavier than a water balloon... even a somewhat larger balloon. Carmilla, oddly enough, enjoyed watching the footage of her in a soaking wet t-shirt. Go figure.

The next problem was holding the shield under constant bombardment. She could withstand a few impacts, but after that... It wasn't like her attention was wandering, or anything, it was just _hard_ to keep so focused on one thing, while _also_ remaining aware of her physical surroundings. Because Kheelan liked to move around as he pelted her shield with things, and it wasn't omni-directional.

That was the next problem. She kept envisioning a flat shield, instead of a dome. Anything that came from the sides, behind her, or above...

More discreet snickering from her girlfriend.

She _could_ do it, she knew that. It just required... practice. Lots and lots of practice. She needed to get to a point where it was almost a reflexive action, so that she could continue to move or even attack, as needed.

Based on that day's progress, she'd glumly concluded she might _almost_ be ready to stop the _next_ sacrifice, in another twenty years.

 

_Bet you don't think I can take it_

_But my mind and body are strong_

_Bet you don't think I can make it_

_It won't take long_

_Bet you don't think I can take it_

_But my mind and body are strong_

_Bet you don't think I can make it_

_It won't take long_

_Now watch me shine..._

 

The next scene, however, was sped-up footage of her, in her dorm room, studying for her Lit mid-term. Carmilla, in the background, was reading through a philosophy text, occasionally offering comments when she thought Laura needed help - scholastically or otherwise.

"As much as I would have liked to, I couldn't just focus on learning how to kick magical butt and take Names," she said to the camera with a faint smile. "I do still have schoolwork to get done, after all." She shook her head. "If someone had told me earlier that fighting the forces of evil involved this much paperwork, I would not have believed them."

 

_Better watch out_

_Going for the knockout_

_And I won't stop_

_Till I'm on top now_

_Not gonna give up_

_Until I get what's mine_

_Better check that I'm about to upset_

_And I'm hot now_

_So you better step back_

_I'm taking over_

_So watch me shine_

_Now watch me shine..._

 

"Which brings us to today. As you can see, I _did_ get better at shielding. Unfortunately, this meant that Kheelan decided I was ready to try stopping _actual_ magical strikes. Low-powered, of course, but..."

The first shot was of her diving to the ground to avoid an oncoming fireball, hands going over her head, as a baffled Kheelan watched.

It did not exactly do wonders for her dignity.

As she'd said, though, once she stopped cowering, she showed that she _had_ gotten better at blocking. She still couldn't move from one spot or attack as she did so, and a constant barrage could still make her lose focus enough to make the shield fall, but it was progress.

Painfully, achingly slow progress.

 

_Better watch out_

_Going for the knockout_

_And I won't stop_

_Till I'm on top now_

_Not gonna give up_

_Until I get what's mine_

_(Until I get what's mine...)_

_Better check that I'm about to upset_

_And I'm hot now_

_So you better step back_

_I'm taking over_

_So watch me shine_

_Watch me..._

_Watch me shine..._

_Watch me_

 

"So, that's where we are," she summed up. "I can withstand an attack from a moderately powerful foe, if I see them coming and they don't have vampiric superspeed, long enough, at least, for Kheelan to get there and assist - and I doubt Mom would have assigned him to me if he couldn't kick plenty of ass - but I'm still a long, long way from being able to do anything to stop the sacrifice. Also, Danny's been avoiding me. Gail says she's been, and I quote, 'rather mopey, honestly'. I know I should have told her, but... Well, I was being hit with information overload after information overload, with plenty of emotional stress in the mix, too. I honestly forgot she didn't know."

"Not that it's any of her business, anyway," Carmilla added from where she was laying on her own bed. She'd stolen Laura's pillow again, but that had stopped being a problem a while ago.

"I don't like hurting people like that," Laura said simply. "And she deserved to hear it from me, not from my Mom being passive-aggressive." Because she didn't for one second think that had been an accident.

There was a knock at the door. After they'd become intimate, Carmilla had begun insisting it stay locked when they were alone, unless they were actually expecting someone. This had resulted in more than a few sudden thuds against the door, as their friends tried and failed to just barge in as they usually did.

If nothing else, Laura liked to think they were reminding them that manners existed, and should be used.

This time, it was LaFontaine. "Hey, you done playing Harry Potter for the day?"

"Yeah." She had kind of been looking forward to a massage from Carmilla, though. Magic practice tended to leave her stiff and sore, as well as tired, like she was working out muscles she hadn't even known she had, before. As such, Carmilla had taken to providing a slow, sensual massage than invariably wound up leading to...

Well, suffice to say, she was always _very_ relaxed, afterward.

"Why? What's up?"

"Just wondering if there's been any update regarding the missing girls."

"Not really. I still don't know enough to track them down, and even if I did, I'm nowhere _near_ good enough to win any kind of fight, yet. Which the girl in my dreams doesn't seem to get." That last was muttered to herself.

She'd forgotten, though, that her girlfriend had superhumanly acute hearing. "What girl?"

She didn't really like remembering this, but... "The girl in the nightdress."

"You're still having the dreams?" Carmilla was on her feet, now. "That doesn't make sense. I'm _sure_ Mother would have moved on to someone else, by now - and no, before you ask, she hasn't told me who."

"They're not coming from the vampires." She was sure of it, now. "They never were. The Light's victims, they're... conscious."

Carmilla reeled like she'd been gut-punched. "Did... That girl, did she... say anything?"

She tried to recall the latest dream as best she could. Drowning in the ocean of blood, with that _horrible_ light overhead... She wasn't mentioning any of that. LaF didn't need any nightmares of their own, and Carmilla... just wouldn't react well. "I think... Not to go into the light, 'cause... the light is hungry."

"That's everything she said?" Carmilla demanded, a distinct edge to her voice.

Laura was pretty sure she knew why. "Yeah. I'm sorry." She paused. "You asked about her before. It's her, isn't it? It's... Elle." She was not upset that her girlfriend was worrying about another woman, she told herself. She knew how guilty Carm felt about what she'd done to Elle, what she'd been unable to save her from. Knowing that Elle had been awake and aware all this time, helpless to do anything at all...

No, she wasn't upset. She got out of her chair, moved to Carmilla's side, and gave her a hug.

"I don't know," Carmilla said once Laura pulled back. "I've never seen her. The girls we take, they talk about her, sometimes. Little girl with a mole, right here?" She pointed to a spot on her right cheek.

Thinking about it, Laura nodded.

"She's never tried to say anything to me."

"She probably can't," Laura told her. "If the people of the various supernatural communities felt that your mother was the best one for this particular task, vampires are probably immune to anything related to the Light."

"Maybe."

"Who are we talking about?" LaF wondered as Carmilla dropped down onto her own bed, gaze distant.

"Her ex. Kind of. She got taken a long time ago."

LaF wisely decided to leave that subject alone. Laura had, at least, previously mentioned what little she knew about the Gate, so no one needed to ask what task she'd been referring to. (Carmilla hadn't known whether to be amused or indignant that Laura's mother had told her more in a few minutes than the dean had in centuries.) "'The Light is hungry'. Not to get all fascinated by weird things, but that could be a clue. Maybe something to do with the second stage of the parasite."

"Could be," Laura agreed. Neither her mother nor Kheelan had really said much of anything about the parasites at all. (She told herself that no, it wasn't because they didn't care. Hadn't her mother said she'd prefer the sacrifices not happen?) "But we don't really know anything about whatever beast is down there, so how are we going to cross-reference some ancient evil light with weird parasitic brain worms in..." She trailed off as a sinking realization set in.

"Oh, crap, I said 'cross-reference', didn't I?"


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** After a mention or two, this chapter marks the first actual appearance of _Silas Confidential_ protagonist Mary Ringwold in one of my stories. Like with most canon Carmilla material, it's rather light on details - I don't think it ever describes her at all. Rose, yes. Mary? No idea what she looks like. Keep using your imagination, I guess? *shrug*

* * *

So. They had a vague idea of what it was that was infecting the missing girls - somehow - with parasites. They knew the parasites had to be what was causing the strange behavior before the girls went missing again. They didn't know why, or where the girls were going, or how one got from "hungry light" to brain parasites. They did, however, know where to go to start looking for answers: the Library. More specifically, the "No, really, you don't _ever_ want to go down there" subbasement where they'd been once before, a trip that had resulted in mental scars and a fiery tornado. As such, Laura did what she always did in such situations.

She sat down at her computer to make a vlog entry.

"Is this _really_ necessary?" Carmilla wondered from where she was sitting on her bed, playing with what looked like a butcher's knife. No one else knew where it had come from, given that it wasn't one of Laura's weapons, but they elected not to ask. She might _answer_ them. "If the Library tries picking a fight again, it'll go a lot differently, and I think it'll realize that."

Laura didn't feel quite so confident in her skills... or the reasoning ability of a building. "Yeah, well, since I don't feel like underestimating the sentient Escher painting with shelves, we're recording this message in case, for whatever reason, we don't come back."

"We've determined that a research trip that some of you may not approve of is a necessity," LaFontaine threw in, leaning over Laura's shoulder.

"And since the subbasement where the archives are only exists after dark - which I still want explained, one of these days - a day trip is, unfortunately, out of the question," Laura finished. "And, I mean, chances are Carmilla's right, and this'll be fine. But on the off chance things don't go _quite_ the way we want them to, if you're watching this Danny, Perry..."

"No." Laura looked over in surprise to find LaF shaking their head firmly. "Hell no. We are _not_ apologizing. Not to them, not to anyone. We are ready for the weird. We _thrive_ on it. We tape our flamethrowers to our pulse rifles, and we make the weird submit." To the camera, they boldly declared, "We're going to the Library." That said, they whirled and strode toward the door, baseball bat in hand. Laura shot a helpless look at Carmilla, who seemed far too amused in turn.

So no help there.

With nothing else for it, she shut off the camera, sent the computer into sleep mode, and followed LaF, Carmilla trailing behind her. And who knew? Maybe things would work out fine. Maybe, for once, everything would go according to plan, with no surprises.

She wasn't gonna hold her breath on that one, though.

* * *

"Was that our neighbor, upstairs?" Laura wondered as they cautiously made their way down to the subbasement. "Mary... something-or-other?"

"Maybe." Carmilla shrugged. "Who cares? She's a big girl, she can visit the Library at night if she wants to."

"I know. Just... remind me to check on her before we leave, okay?"

"Whatever."

There was, sadly, no librarian anywhere in sight to help them, especially down where they were now. "Here's hoping the online search engine is as helpful as it was last time," she muttered, ignoring the skittering in the shelves as best she could. Upstairs, the Library looked normal (at least some of the time), even charming at times. Down here? Nothing but creepy, badly lit stone hallways, storage rooms no doubt full of books and index cards waiting to attack them, the sound of something dripping somewhere that she was _really_ hoping was just water, and somewhere, up ahead, a computer station.

She was pretty sure they should have reached it already, actually. Like she'd told Carmilla, though, sentient Escher painting.

There were other noises aside from the dripping - growling, grinding, and some she had no words for - and all three of them were getting the feeling that _something_ was closing in on them. She didn't really want to fight. Yes, she'd been learning a lot, but she wasn't confident in her ability to exercise enough precision to keep from accidentally destroying whatever book or books they were looking for (because that would be just her luck, really). She couldn't let Carm or LaF get hurt because they'd accompanied her, though. It wasn't like she could just _tell_ the Library not to-

Actually...

Hmm...

Maybe...?

What the hell. It was worth a try. She stopped, causing the other two to stop with her and look at her in confusion, and raised her voice, calling, "Okay, Library, look. I'm not here for a fight. My name's Laura Hollis, daughter of Titania, Queen of the Summer Court of Faerie. I'm requesting access to your archives for purposes related to the protection of the Gate." She ignored the baffled, incredulous looks she was getting.

For a long moment, nothing happened. Just when she was starting to worry that a fight might be inevitable after all, the sensation of an ominous presence retreated, the sounds stopped, and the lights came up to a normal level. The subbasement went from being creepy as hell to a seemingly normal subbasement in the space of seconds.

"Thank you," Laura said clearly, smiling, then started forward toward the computer station that she could now plainly see.

"How did you...?" Carmilla began.

She had to admit, it was nice to surprise the centuries-old vampire in matters of the supernatural, sometimes. Carmilla knew so much, it could, at times, make one feel inadequate. "It's a sentient building. That doesn't seem like the kind of thing that would happen by accident. And Mom did say that while Summer is the only one playing an _active_ role in keeping an eye on the dean and her cabal, they might not be the _only_ ones doing so. Besides, what did I have to lose by being polite?"

"It has been working for you so far," Carmilla agreed, referencing her entry to the security room at the Summer House. "Your mom'll probably be happy with you, too. Openly broadcasting your relationship like that, and all..."

"Well, to the Library, anyway. For some reason, I get the feeling _nobody_ is gonna be spying on us via supernatural means in here." She could just _sense_ it, somehow.

"I'll take your word for it."

"Well, having a place to go to discuss things safely could come in handy, someday." She stopped in front of the table with a lone computer on it. It seemed fairly out of date - she was pretty sure it was running Windows 95 - but really, how high tech did it need to be to do its job? That just made it's evident voice recognition software and super helpful search engine all the more unusual.

What was downright baffling, however, was the text window that had popped up, which said 'Greetings, Your Highness! How may I assist you?'

"It _heard_ me? From all the way over here?" she blurted out, looking back the way they'd come to judge distance. Even her computer might not have caught that, given that she hadn't exactly been shouting, so much as speaking loudly. For that matter... "Does it even have a microphone?" she asked, looking closely at the old PC. Too old to have one built in, and it certainly didn't seem to have one attached.

"Who cares?" Carmilla countered with a stifled sigh. "Just ask it about the hungry light, already, so we can get going."

'The esurientem luce? Oh, I can absolutely help you with that!'

Laura blinked. Well, it certainly seemed eager to help. Not to mention that it kept saying 'I'. "Wait, am I talking to an actual _person_? Who are you?" If the school actually had someone monitoring the computer system in real time, that might explain why they'd instantly known about her videos.

'How terribly rude of me. Please, allow me to introduce myself: J.P. Armitage, junior records clerk, class of 1874.'

Laura could only stare at that in stupefication for a long moment. "There's someone _in the catalogue_?" She turned to look at Carmilla. So did LaFontaine.

Carmilla didn't seem to appreciate this. "Why do you always look at me like I had something to do with it?"

"Actually, this is more of a 'Hey, you've been here a while, does this sound at all familiar to you?' sort of look."

"I can't keep track of all the rumors of missing students, odd occurrences, hauntings, or the like. That would be a full-time job in and of itself."

"I suppose so. Wonder if that means your mom actually has someone _doing_ that, then." Not that it really mattered, just then. Setting it aside for the time being, she focused on the computer. "Well, it's nice to meet you, J.P. I'm Laura, that's Carmilla, and LaFontaine. So, what do you know about the Light, and the vampires that feed it?"

So he explained. 1874, as they might have known, had been another in the cycle of sacrifices to the Light. Actually, Laura realized, stomach clenching, at least one of them likely _had_ known that immediately. If Carmilla had been betrayed and buried in that coffin in 1872, then 1874 was likely when Elle had been sacrificed. She reached out to take her hand, even as she asked J.P., "Silas was established in 1871, right? So, you would have been in the first graduating class?" Which should have been _1875_ , but maybe they'd done things a bit differently back then. That wasn't really what she was focused on, at the time.

'Quite so. At the time, I'd regarded it as an honor.' Clearly, that had changed over the past hundred and forty years. Understandable, really.

"Bring him up to speed on what we know?" she asked LaF. Upon their agreement, she tugged a not terribly resistant Carmilla off to the side. "You okay?" she asked softly.

"Sure." It was about as convincing as all her other lies.

"So... 1874. That was when...?"

"Yeah."

"Two years."

"Yeah. Don't know what they did with her all that time. Might have taken her home, for all I know. She'd have come to them when it was time, I guess."

Laura hugged her. "I promise, Carm, I will do whatever it takes to set her - and the others - free."

Carmilla was startled out of her state of shock. "I'm not... doing this for-"

"I know," Laura interrupted, giving her a quick kiss. "But I promise, anyway."

Carmilla shook her head in fond incredulity. "It is a rare breed of crazy that would promise to save her girlfriend's ex."

"I think, by now, she's more than paid for betraying you the way she did. Now c'mon, let's see how the information exchange is going." She headed back to the computer, a slightly off-balance Carmilla following.

J.P., as it turned out, had gotten fairly far into his research. Obviously, lacking an electron microscope, he hadn't known about the parasites - fortunately, Carmilla hadn't been there for his initial burst of excitement at learning of them, of the monitor would likely be in pieces right now - or that the strange liquid he'd discovered was cerebral spinal fluid. Despite that, he'd put his skills as a records clerk to good use, learning about the vampires, the Light, and, most importantly, a special Sumerian tome that supposedly had a section about it. He'd been searching for it in the subbasement when he was... absorbed. Into the digital catalogue. Over a century before it _was_ digital.

Laura made a conscious decision to worry about that later.

With the Library cooperating, their efforts to retrieve the book this time went far more smoothly. Laura didn't like the looks of it, but she supposed that was only natural for a book that dealt with who-knew-what manner of ancient horrors. Rather than leave immediately once they had it, though, Laura lingered at the computer. "J.P.," she began slowly. "Do you know anything about the events of 1904?"

'I have records of the riots and fires, as well as the final death toll. What, specifically, are you looking for?'

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "Something made that year worse than usual, though. Bad enough to call in the Board of Governors."

'The minutes from that meeting are filed down here.'

That seemed as good a starting point as any. If nothing else, maybe it would help her figure out just what she was looking for. "Where?"

One more retrieval mission accomplished, Laura again hesitated. This time, though, she knew exactly why. "We can't just leave him here," she remarked, looking unhappily at the computer desk.

"Well, unless you can magic him out of there, we may not have much choice," Carmilla stated.

That, as they were both aware, was something Laura didn't have the slightest idea how to do, and she wasn't about to experiment with something that could _erase_ someone if she got it even the slightest bit wrong. (She didn't even know if her magic _could_ do something like that.)

'You needn't go to any trouble on my account, Your Highness,' J.P. assured her. 'I'm in no discomfort where I am, and as a Zeta, I'm honor bound to ensure the safety of the student body above all else.'

"My name's Laura," she corrected him, not for the first time. "And... wait. You're a Zeta?" She probably sounded a bit more incredulous than anyone who didn't know the current Zeta Bros would understand or appreciate, but she couldn't help it.

'I was a founding member, in fact.'

"So that's it," Carmilla muttered. Seeing Laura's quizzical look, she explained, "Mother had Will join in order to keep an eye on the Zetas. I could never figure out why she considered that bunch of braindead jocks even a potential threat."

'I beg your pardon, but... "braindead jocks"?'

"Well... Let's just say that the Summer Society isn't the only group to have forgotten their roots," Laura said delicately. She came to a decision. "This just makes it all the more important to get you out of here." He wasn't Faerie royalty, but a founding member of their fraternity coming back might be just what it took to get Zeta Omega Mu back into shape. "I just need..." She needed a plan, was what she needed. How was she supposed to get a digitized consciousness-

_Idea!_

She waved her hand in a circle, then caught the flashdrive she'd just conjured into existence. Or it looked externally like a flashdrive, anyway. "Okay, here's hoping. Worst case, it doesn't work, and we have to come back and try again." It took a bit of searching to find a USB port - she'd been worried for a moment that the computer was so old that it might not have a compatible slot - but once she'd plugged it in, it quickly synched up with the Library's database, transferring the requested data to it. "Okay," she said once she'd unplugged it and dropped it into a pocket. "Now let's go back to our room and see if it worked." And read through their newly acquired books, obviously.

"Didn't you have something you wanted to do upstairs, first?" Carmilla prompted.

"Ah, right. Thanks."

Mary, as it turned out, was _not_ entirely alright. She'd evidently had a somewhat violent altercation with a book. Remembering her own literary assault, Laura winced in sympathy. "Are you two okay?" she asked as she approached the table where Mary was apparently playing Scrabble with the attractive girl... hovering in the air next to her?

Well, that was a new one.

Mary started, clearly not having noticed her. "I- I'm fine, thanks." She sounded stiff and awkward, though. She didn't really talk to anyone in Journalism class, either, now that Laura thought about it. She thought she'd seen the girl talking to Betty once or twice at a party, but she certainly seemed rather shy and withdrawn the rest of the time. "Wait, _two_?!" Mary asked, having fully processed Laura's question. "You can see...?" She gestured vaguely toward the other girl.

"Well, yeah." She shrugged. "She's standing - okay, hovering - right there."

"You see ghosts, now?" Carmilla asked.

"I..." There really was no limit to how much of a freak she was, was there? "You're a ghost? Really?"

The girl nodded, looking sad. Little wonder why.

"Her name's Rose," Mary said distractedly, still seeming to be having trouble grasping what was going on. "How can you _see_ her? _I_ can barely even..."

Laura saw the newly identified Rose focusing on the Scrabble tiles, which abruptly began to shift around, forming words. _So that's what they're for,_ she thought as the words NOT YOUR FAULT appeared.

"She's right," Laura said. She could sense the obvious affection between the two, and figured that having someone else come along who could interact with her friend so much more easily must have hurt Mary. She didn't want her neighbor thinking she was any kind of failure - or being in any way jealous - just because _she_ was such a freak of nature. "My mother... Well, let's just say that I'm turning out to be a cornucopia of strange and disturbing abilities." She snuck another look at Mary's ankle. "We should probably bandage that up." She wasn't confident enough to try healing it herself. Though, maybe she could summon up Kheelan for a sort of emergency lesson on the subject?

"It's not really bleeding that much," Mary countered warily. Laura blinked, honestly not sure what she'd done to prompt that reaction.

_She's not used to you noticing her at all, let alone displaying concern for her,_ Rose told her. The ghost's voice was like a whisper in the back of her mind, which was... mildly disconcerting, truth be told. _Also, the constant barrage of noise through your adjoining wall can be... somewhat irritating, to her, when she's trying to study._

"Oh." Though, given the layout of their dorm, that wall was in their their bathroom, so even if the walls weren't as soundproofed as they were supposed to be, she shouldn't have been hearing all _that_ much. Unless someone else had done something to make it easier to overhear things said in their room. To make sure Carmilla stayed on task, maybe? She'd have to check later. "What are you doing here this late, anyway?" she asked before Mary had a chance to question her comment. "If you don't need to access the archives, couldn't it have waited until daylight?"

"That's what you were doing, I take it?" She nodded. "I'm just... trying to figure out what's going on. I don't know if you've noticed the strange occurrences in Crowley Hall, but Rose said someone named Dean Vamp is involved with it."

There was a long pause.

"Or... She was telling you that the dean of students _is_ a vampire?" Laura suggested gently.

Mary raised an eyebrow. "You're kidding, right? I mean, I've found references to some secret vampire council supposedly running Silas, but that's ridiculous. How secret can it be if everyone knows?"

"She's got a point," Laura told Carmilla dryly. "You guys really suck at keeping secrets."

Mary blinked. "You guys?" she echoed.

Laura contemplated her for another moment, then turned back to Carmilla. "What do you think?"

"Hmm. She's gone under the radar so far, but if she keeps poking her nose into things, _someone_ is going to notice, and Casper can only do so much."

Which meant, if she didn't do something, she'd be responsible for someone else getting hurt, or killed. "Okay. Guess that means you're in."

"I am?" Mary asked, somewhere between confused and mildly alarmed. "Um, in what?"

"We'll tell you on the way back to the dorm. It's... kind of a long story."

Which was putting it mildly.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** Things continue hitting the fan this week here, with... Well, you'll see.

* * *

It took the entire walk back to the dorm _and_ about half an hour afterward to bring Mary and Rose up to speed on things. (More so Mary than Rose, who'd been around long enough to already have picked up on the basics.) Laura was giving serious thought to just combining her previous expository videos into one, adding whatever stray information they didn't already cover, and just showing that to the next person who needed things explained. It sounded time-consuming enough that she'd wait until tomorrow, at the very least.

"Let me see if I've got this straight," Mary said finally, holding up a hand. "Your mother's a Faerie Queen, which you didn't know about until recently?"

"Right," Laura agreed.

"You're dating your roommate, the vampire, who used to be involved in the kidnappings, but isn't, anymore?"

"It was more that the dean was using her, but otherwise, yeah, pretty much."

"The dean, who sacrifices five girls every twenty years to the guardian of some kind of Death Gate underneath the school?"

"Unfortunately, yes."

"The dean also being an ancient and super powerful vampire, and the Gate being fairly indestructible?"

"Yes, and I think if it could have just been destroyed, it would have, by now."

"You're planning on maiming the creature holding the souls of the past sacrifices, but _not_ killing it, because...?"

"Because I don't think I _can_ kill it, and even if I did, that would just leave the Gate unguarded. Still... working on how to keep it from rampaging afterward."

"...do you realize how _insane_ this all sounds?"

She smiled tiredly. "Realize it? I'm _living_ it." She leaned against Carmilla, who was perusing the Sumerian book. Hoping that meant she could read it, and wasn't just using it as an excuse to ignore everyone (as she sometimes did with her own books, when Laura had company), Laura added, "Believe me, it's every bit as fun as it _doesn't_ sound." She and Carm were sitting on the vampire's bed, with Mary in the desk chair while LaF sat on Laura's own bed. Rose tended to just hover near wherever Mary happened to be, which seemed to reassure the both of them. She wondered if either of them had realized they had a thing for the other. It seemed fairly obvious to her.

It also seemed fairly sad. Dating one of the undead was one thing, but an _actually_ dead person? Impossible. As such, she resolved to keep quiet about it. No need to be pouring salt into that particular open wound.

"Surprised you're not recording all this, too," Carmilla remarked without ever looking up from the book.

"Recording?" Mary asked.

That actually got Carmilla to take a break from reading. "Really? We finally found someone on campus _not_ watching those videos of hers?"

"My journalism project," Laura said with a shrug. "Originally, I was just going to try and figure out what was going on with the Library's computer system - which I guess I did," she said, pulling out J.P.'s flashdrive and looking at it. "Then Betty went missing, so my focus shifted, and things just kept escalating... I started posting them online, to try and get some help in figuring everything out, and got a _ton_ of responses... including from the administration. Remember that Town Hall they called?"

"That was you?"

"Yep. We've since placed a veil on them to keep anyone loyal to the dean from seeing them, but... Well, when I say you need to be careful during your investigations into anything the Silas administration might not want you looking into, I know what I'm talking about." She paused. "Which is also why I'm waiting to record an update about this until later. Just because they can't see my videos themselves, that doesn't mean they might not overhear someone else talking about it, and right now, they don't know that _you_ know."

It was clearly beginning to dawn on Mary just what she was getting herself into, but she didn't falter for a second. "Having someone who can move completely under the radar might just come in handy."

"That isn't why I'm doing it," Laura objected.

"I know. But it's why I'm going along with it." For all that she couldn't see Rose's look of pride in her, she shifted as if she could feel it. Maybe she could. Sadly, for all of Laura's strange and odd abilities, she couldn't tell what someone else's were. She could always ask her, she supposed. Get to know her.

Later.

First things first, after all. Setting her own book aside - she'd been too busy bringing Mary up to speed to get any reading done - she rose and called, "Kheelan? I need to speak with you, please."

He appeared in the room so suddenly that, despite expecting him, she was still startled, and she wasn't alone in that. "Yes, Your Highness?" It was becoming clear he was _never_ going to use her given name, unless it was attached to the word 'princess'. "Is there something that I-" He broke off abruptly, eyes narrowing, and turned toward Mary. No, she realized with a sinking feeling, toward _Rose_. He didn't seem to _see_ her - evidently that weirdness was reserved solely for her, which... she didn't need, really - but he could clearly sense her. He muttered a word Laura couldn't quite catch, though it hadn't sounded like English (or any other language she knew of), holding up a hand, palm out, fingers curving into a clawed shape, as if grasping something... and Rose went rigid, convulsing slightly, obviously in pain. How a ghost could feel pain, she had no idea. But that was a question for later.

Mary was on her feet. "What is he- What are you doing? Leave her alone!"

Kheelan ignored her. "I don't who you work for, spirit, but you will not be permitted to spy on the princess."

"She isn't doing any such thing!" Laura snapped. "Let her go!"

"Your Highness-"

" _ **That was not a request!**_ "

Kheelan released Rose from his magical grip by pure reflex, even as everyone else in the room stopped and looked at her. Partly due to her volume, partly because of her tone...

And partly because she was, quite literally, on fire.

It would, perhaps, be more accurate to say she was engulfed in a corona of flame. No one witnessing the display cared enough to make the distinction, however.

"How dare you?" Laura seethed. " _How_ _ **dare**_ _you_?! That is _not_ why I called you here! Do you really think I didn't see her? Her _name_ is Rose, and she and Mary are my _**guests**_!"

Strangely enough, that one word did more to chastise him than anything else she'd said or done. Kheelan looked horrified, then immediately dropped to one knee, head bowed. "I am deeply sorry, Your Highness. I was not aware that- It shall not happen again."

"Well, _that_ was a switch," LaFontaine noted from where they were standing over near the wardrobe. What they were doing over _there_ , Laura had no idea, and promptly stopped caring.

"Hospitality is an almost holy concept among the supernatural set," Carmilla explained, book set aside. "It's like a sacred pledge of courtesy, safety and guest privileges among the Old World supernatural community. The Obligations of Hospitality and a Sworn Oath are more binding than the threat of violence." Those listening could actually _hear_ the capitalization in her words. "A being making such an oath would be obligated to protect the other person from themselves and others making a threat. Failing that duty would be a serious loss of face and respect. Word would get around. The Fae, in particular, set great store on forms of courtesy, etiquette, and the relationship of guest to host. One openly ignores the proper forms at their peril. The Sidhe, the Lords of Faerie, are likely to have extreme reactions." She studied Laura carefully. She was ignoring everyone else as she glared at Kheelan, fists clenched, surrounded by a sheath of red and orange fire... which was slowly starting to burn the floor, making this the first time that any fire Laura had summoned in anger had harmed her surroundings. Not what one would call a good sign, Carmilla decided. "Given that Laura wasn't raised with that, and hasn't accepted any titles that would carry such baggage with them, evidently it's something intrinsic to their very nature."

There was a quiet rustling of Scrabble tiles, several of them moving to form the words IM OKAY, followed immediately by PLEASE CALM HER DOWN.

"You know, there's a computer right there you can type on," Carmilla pointed out absently, trying to work out how to do what the ghost suggested.

"I called you here to show me how to _help_ them," Laura ground out. She wasn't shouting anymore, but the room was starting to feel like an oven. "You do _not_ simply-" She broke off, sputtering, as she was abruptly engulfed in a cloud of cold white gas. "Ack! LaF, what the hell?!"

The fire hadn't gone out - or even diminished, for that matter - but Laura was focused on her surroundings again, at any rate. She also knew what LaF had been doing near the wardrobe, now, that being the corner where they stored the fire extinguisher she'd covertly obtained after first observing Carmilla's own display of pyrokinesis. (Off topic, she couldn't help but wonder why Carm hasn't used _that_ against Will, if she'd actually meant to kill him before Laura's disappearing act.)

"Interesting. No effect whatsoever," they noted, more or less ignoring Laura's question. "I guess magical fires don't require oxygen?"

"Huh?" Laura asked, looking at them in confusion. Well. That's what they all _guessed_ was on her face, hidden behind the fire.

"Uh, Laura? You wanna put that out before you actually _do_ torch all my stuff?" Carmilla requested warily, not afraid _of_ Laura so much as _for_ her.

Because, as evidenced by her starting in surprise as she looked down, Laura _hadn't even noticed she was on fire_.

The flames finally sputtered and went out, revealing a shaken but unharmed Laura. Carmilla wasted no time in getting up and pulling her into an embrace. "Easy, Cupcake," she breathed into her ear. "You're okay. And he didn't hurt her, so there was no real breach of hospitality." Not that Laura, herself, would care about that sort of thing. But it needed to be said, if only to calm whatever part it was of the Summer within her that _did_. "It's okay. Just breathe. You didn't hurt anyone, and he deserved to be yelled at."

"I... I don't know what came over me," she said quietly, sounding lost. "I was just... so _angry_..."

"Yeah, we picked up on that," LaF said dryly.

Carmilla shot them a glare, but it died when Laura hiccuped out a laugh. "Yeah, I guess so." She looked down, winced at the charred spot on the hardwood floor, and waved a hand, causing the burn to shimmer and vanish. "At least I can do that easily enough, now." She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, enjoying one last moment in Carmilla's arms before she pulled away. "Sorry about that," she told Mary - and Rose. "Things... get a little crazy here, sometimes."

"I'm getting that," Mary said faintly. She'd evidently managed to reassure herself that Rose was okay while Laura had been... elsewhere, mentally. "If this is the sort of thing you have to deal with on a regular basis, all those bangs and thumps and yells are starting to make sense." All the ones that hadn't already been explained by learning Laura and Carmilla were dating, that is.

"Right. That." She paused, visibly organizing her thoughts into some kind of coherent order. "Kheelan, get up." She was still speaking normally, voice closer to weary than angry, but he still wasted no time in obeying, keeping his gaze trained on the ground. Of course, anything that sounded at all like an order tended to get the same obedience, unless it clashed with something her mother had told him.

She didn't want to admit it, but there was a part of her - a small, buried part in the back of her mind - that _liked_ that. She ignored it as best she could.

"Look at me," she commanded. When he did, she softened her tone. "I'd appreciate it if you'd check with me first before attacking someone in my room, but given that security and preventing anyone from listening in on us is one of the reasons I called you, I'm willing to let it go, this time."

"Your Highness is most gracious," he said solemnly, bowing respectfully. That same small, buried part of her positively ate that up. Was that a princess thing, like her reaction to the near-breach of Hospitality had been? She'd have to ask Gail or someone later.

First things first, though. "Apparently, there's a lot more sound getting through our walls than there should be, even for a normal dorm room. I want you to check and see if there's a reason for that, and if so, correct it. First, though, I want you to start teaching me how to heal people." It would be nice to be able to do things with her magic that would _help_ people, rather than just set them on fire, or something. "The wound on Mary's ankle is fairly small, and should be minor enough that it'll make a good first lesson." She looked inquisitively at Mary. "If you don't mind, that is?"

"If _you're_ the one doing it?" She was still looking warily at Kheelan, but couldn't really be angry with him after Laura had so utterly put him in his place. "Sure."

It didn't take long for Laura to pick up the basics. Apparently, her magic was well-suited toward such things, which made her happy. (Being a natural at blowing things up or setting them on fire was all well and good, but healing and nurturing and _creating_ was just better, in her opinion. Besides, destruction was easy. Anybody could do that.) Mary carefully held still while she worked, and certainly appreciated the injury, however small, being taken care of. Once they were finished, she also wasted no time in very politely excusing herself and slipping out of the room.

Laura wasn't offended. She'd been hit with a ton of stuff all at once, after all. Even someone fairly accustomed to the weirdness of Silas would need some time to process, and she knew Mary would be happier once she got Rose away from Kheelan, even knowing the misunderstanding wouldn't be repeated. Ghosts, it seemed, weren't untouchable, and she had no idea how Mary would be dealing with that.

Rose, she thought, would probably handle it better.

Once Kheelan had also departed (in order to carry out her second instruction), she decided to make that new vlog entry, updating her audience on the results of their trip (though not mentioning the Board Meeting minutes, since she wasn't sure she was supposed to _have_ those, as well as keeping the fact that she'd gotten the Library to cooperate with her by being polite to it to herself) and introducing them to J.P. (She also decided LaF was right; they _did_ need to find J.P. a better interface than typing his words on the screen. Though the fact that he'd evidently decided to add an actual typewriter sound effect was a nice touch.)

"Well, wonder librarian, better have more than just 'hungry' and 'eats girls', because that pretty much describes everything in this book," Carmilla informed them, once again studying the Sumerian tome and ignoring the camera as best she could.

That, Laura decided, _had_ to be an exaggeration. "No, but there's gotta be something..."

"Mm, no. Yuggoth, raised with twelve virgins, burned at the stake... Khalos, sprinkled with the blood of... virgins. Smeared on the roots of the sacrificial tree... Nyarloggoth...? I don't think that name's quite right, but... prefers the livers of virgins, force-fed nothing but red wine for ninety-six days..."

"Eugh."

"Quite. Even thirteen-year-old boys have more subtlety than this."

"Yeah, that's the problem with horrors from beyond the dawn of time: their lack of subtlety," LaF deadpanned. "Though it is pretty cool you can read Sumerian," they admitted.

"Meh, 1871 was a dull year," Carmilla said with a shrug. "I decided to read Gilgamesh."

"How was it?" Laura wondered. Not that she hadn't ever read any of it herself, but she knew a lot could be lost in translation.

"Overhyped."

But maybe not as much as she thought, in this case.

There really wasn't much more to say on camera. Come morning, LaFontaine and J.P. would be hitting LaF's "homunculid anatomy course" - Laura didn't even _want_ to know - to try and figure out more about the parasites. J.P.'s delight at the prospect of a 'field trip' was just adorable. After they left, Laura shut off the camera, because just two people reading wouldn't exactly make for exciting footage, then settled down on her own bed with the minutes while Carmilla kept scanning the Sumerian tome for any information about the Light.

"Sure you don't wanna come over here?" Carmilla asked as she opened the binder that housed the printed transcriptions of the meeting minutes.

"Oh, I absolutely want to," Laura admitted readily. "But I think we both know nothing at all related to research would happen if I did."

"Depends on what it is we'd be researching." How she made _that_ sound so freaking seductive, Laura had no idea.

"Work before play," she insisted. Carmilla made a playfully disappointed sound, and they resumed reading.

It didn't take long for something to leap out at Laura. "What?" she muttered, flipping back a few pages, because she _must_ have missed something.

"What is it?"

"I think... the dean wanted to _kill_ the 'Deep One', as she called it."

Carmilla sat up straight. "Say _what_?"

"I know. The Board voted her down, though. Whatever replacement Guardian she'd come up with evidently didn't pass muster." That sparked off a previously unimagined line of thought. "If she's even open to that possibility, though, and I could find one good enough that _didn't_ require human sacrifices to feed... Would she go for that, do you think, and let the girls go?"

"I don't know," Carmilla said, frowning in thought. "This isn't something she's _ever_ mentioned in front of me. Though, I wouldn't even raise the possibility to her unless you actually _do_ find that replacement first. She isn't gonna give a 'What if?' any real thought, especially regarding something that might mean giving up power or influence to another nation - and this is something that would _have_ to involve Summer."

"But it would also make her life _so_ much easier."

"Then you'd better get your mom in on this bright and early tomorrow, hadn't you?"

"Yeah..." Laura said distractedly, attention caught by something else in the minutes. "Huh. The president of the Summer Society keeps being mentioned. Evidently, she let enough slip for the students to pick up on what was happening, and the dean needed to bring in an outside contractor to deal with her. I-" She broke off, inhaling sharply.

"What?"

Laura's voice was barely above a whisper. "...I think she was my sister."

_That_ had Carmilla setting aside the Sumerian tome and crossing the room to sit next to her. "Are you sure?"

"They don't come right out and say it, but the implication's pretty clear. Especially with the Board Chair mentioning concerns of reprisals from the Summer Queen."

Carmilla was at a loss for what to say. "Laura..."

"No... It's okay. I mean, this was over a century ago. Not like I didn't know I wasn't Mom's first child, and that the others had died. That just shows that the diplomatic solution would be an even better idea." It might hit her harder later, she knew, but just then, reading about a deceased ancestor wasn't really much worse than doing genealogy research. "It says the Board Chair is someone named Matska Belmonde. Is that...?" It wasn't a very subtle change of subject, but Laura was too tired for much in the way of subtlety.

"Um... Yeah, that's Mattie." Carmilla wasn't sure she could trust this seeming dismissal of the fact that her mother had arranged to have Laura's sister 'dealt with', but experience told her that pushing Laura on the subject would just start a fight. "Who knows? Maybe someday I'll be able to introduce you."

"That would be nice," Laura decided. "I'd like to meet a member of your 'family' that you actually care about."

"Well, finding somebody worth caring about in this world is pretty rare," Carmilla replied, referring more to the supernatural world than the planet Earth. "So when I do..." She gently pulled the minutes from Laura's grasp, closed the binder, set it aside, and gently cupped Laura's face. "...I don't let them go without a fight," she finished softly, then pulled her in for a slow, loving kiss.

Laura didn't let it stay PG for long.

* * *

Despite everything that had happened the night before - clothed or otherwise - Laura still showed up at the Summer House bright and early. This time, though, it wasn't for a lesson. (Kheelan had agreed that last night's session would count toward that.) She had some questions to ask.

It didn't take long for someone to go and rouse Gail. Laura felt a little bad about getting her up early, but the freshmen Summers had barely let her finish speaking before racing off to carry out her wishes. Maybe getting some sleep had helped, because unlike the previous night, now that sort of thing just left her feeling somewhat uneasy.

"What's up?" Gail asked around a yawn after she arrived. She was wearing nothing but a pink tank top and red shorts, and Laura realized, for the first time, that she had tattoos. Or one, at least, on her back. She couldn't quite tell what it was, though.

"Can I talk to you?" Then, aware of the rapt gazes she was still getting, she added, "Alone?"

Gail chased the other girls off as easily as Danny had - Laura really needed to learn how to do that - and lead her toward the hidden staircase. "So?" she prompted.

"Well... There's a few things, actually." Now that she was actually here, she wasn't sure how to start this conversation. She described what had happened the previous evening with Rose and Kheelan. "Is that normal?" she asked once she was done. "I mean, I lost it - _completely_ lost it - and he didn't even blink. But, given his training, I'm not sure he _would_..."

Gail paused on a landing, considering. "I think so," she finally said. "You haven't taken up the mantle of Summer Princess, yet, but you do have it within you to do so. Like it or not, Summer is a part of you, and something so tied to its nature will evidently make it react. It isn't something likely to come up often, though, I don't think."

"Good." She hadn't really wanted to worry that she might simply snap and crispy-fry someone for breaking some rule of etiquette that she hadn't even known about. "And, um, the other part?"

"Having your orders obeyed? You're a princess. He's _supposed_ to follow orders, especially from royalty. That's the natural order of things in Faerie. Free will is really more of a mortal thing, so it probably wouldn't even _occur_ to him to refuse. It's not like that crops up with anybody else, right?"

"I don't _give_ people orders!" Did she like it when she got her way? As much as anyone did, she supposed. She'd never been all _that_ upset when she couldn't, though. "And people should not be... kneeling, in front of me..." Because that had certainly never lead to a stray fantasy that one time regarding Danny kneeling in front of her, wearing nothing but-

She felt her face heat up.

Unfortunately, Gail noticed. "Uh-huh," she said slowly, a smile tugging at her lips. "And how would Carmilla feel about this?"

Laura answered without thinking. "She'd be happy to help, probably. She has plenty of leather, and- _Goddammit_." She clamped her mouth shut, face burning, and glared at Gail.

"Oh-ho-ho, _kinky_!" Gail exclaimed delightedly, grinning widely. "I knew I liked you."

"That isn't... I didn't mean..."

"If anything ever, you know... _happens_... Maybe you could "accidentally" leave your camera on?"

"Gail!"

"Come on, Laura, embrace your inner Dominatrix!"

Laura sputtered.

"Danny'd probably go for it," Gail sang, an unrepentant grin on her face, as she resumed heading up the stairs, a distinct bounce in her step.

Laura followed, suddenly understanding _exactly_ what Danny had meant about Gail that first night. "I'd still end up killing Danny if that happened," she said through gritted teeth. "And you know it."

"That would depend on what you did," Gail replied, though she did, at least, drop the teasing from her voice.

"There was another reason I came by this morning," Laura reminded her. "And it _wasn't_ to talk about my sex life."

"What was it, then?"

"...I want to see my sister's room."

_That_ brought Gail to a dead halt. "Say _what_?"

"Josephine. I know it was back in 1904, but..." She felt a tug at her awareness. "I was right, wasn't I?" she asked the House. "She did leave something here for me, didn't she? Or one of us, anyway."

"As I understand it, her room was sealed off after her death," Gail said slowly, completely serious, now. "Though... I suppose it may open, for you."

"That's what I'm hoping."

Josephine's room turned out to be up on the fifth floor - the windows of which _still_ seemed to look out from the second floor - and somehow, Laura wasn't surprised when Gail lead her to a blank section of wall, or when a door materialized at her touch. "You gonna be okay with this?" Gail asked.

"Yeah, thanks." She could only hope she was right about that. Giving in to a last second moment of nerves, she stalled by saying, "Oh, I almost forgot. What's that tattoo of?"

"What, this?" Gail turned, tugging up her shirt to show a colorful blue and green dragon rising from a lake of orange fire on her back.

"Didn't that _hurt_?" Laura asked, politely ignoring that she hadn't seen any bra strap. She _had_ gotten Gail out of bed, after all.

"Eh, a bit. Totally worth it, though. So was this one." She turned - shirt lowered to _just_ below her chest - to show a crimson rose on her stomach.

"You have no shame at all, do you?" Laura asked, bemused.

"Please. Look at me," Gail said, letting her shirt fall and holding her arms out to the sides. "What do I have to be ashamed about?"

Laura couldn't help but laugh. The other girl was confident, she had to give her that. (And, privately, she conceded that Gail wasn't exactly wrong about her looks.) With a cocky grin, Gail turned and headed back toward the stairs. "I do have some things to do, though. See ya around, princess."

"Right." Well, she felt a little calmer, now. Enough to at least try and open the door. It didn't quite _want_ to open, at first, but after a moment she could feel the House recognize her for what she was, and it unlocked with a click.

It had been waiting for another of Titania's children, she sensed, for quite some time.

She walked inside, flicking on the lights and gently shutting the door behind her. She instantly felt like she was intruding somewhere she wasn't supposed to be, but ignored it as best she could, looking around. The bedroom... was just that: a bedroom. The bed had an ornately carved headboard - she didn't recognize any of the symbols on it - and dark green sheets, with matching pillowcase and blankets. There were pictures hung here and there, likely of other Summers from the early 1900s, and other people Josephine might have known. There were a couple of bureaus, a door that likely lead to a closet, a writing desk with a sculpture lamp of a nymph and roses, and a dresser with a large mirror. No makeup in evidence, but she supposed a trained mage wouldn't _need_ any.

She really wished she knew what the hell she was _looking_ for. Thinking about just rooting around in the drawers made her feel horribly uncomfortable.

There was a clear glass orb sitting in the middle of her desk that didn't quite seem to belong there. Taking a moment to notice the lack of dust - it was like the room had been placed in some kind of stasis when it had been sealed off, or something - she reached out and touched it.

When it flared with light under her hand, she reflected that she really should just stop randomly touching things in this House.

There was a surge of long-dormant magic, and the illusion of a young woman took shape near the bed. Laura had never seen her before, but somehow she _knew_ who it was.

"Josephine..."

* * *

It wasn't until they were getting ready for class the next morning that LaFontaine realized something wasn't quite right.

When they'd gotten back to their dorm room the night before, it had been rather late, so they hadn't turned on the lights, not wanting to wake Perry. Things were still a bit tense there, though she _was_ trying to understand, as she'd promised. No point in needlessly antagonizing her, in however small a fashion.

Perry being awake before they were was nothing new. If she didn't make breakfast, though, she'd usually at least greet them in the morning, usually while in the process of cleaning something. Or, at the very least, leave a note.

This morning? Nothing. Perry just... wasn't there.

And they knew she didn't have any classes this early.

Had she even been there when they'd gotten back the night before? They'd thought so, but maybe they'd mistaken the lumpy, unmade bed for her sleeping form?

Wait.

Unmade bed?

They immediately started panicking.

Lola Perry did not leave her bed unmade. They didn't think Perry _could_ leave her bed unmade. They'd even caught her making _other people's beds_ before. Now, though, the sheets and blankets were completely askew, and the pillow...

They swallowed hard.

There, on the pillow, were a few reddish-brown spots that might have been dried blood.

Their phone rang. Absently, they stumbled over to their desk to pick it up, almost forgetting to unplug it from its charger. "Hello?" they said, feeling numb.

" _Susan!_ "

Their heart leapt. Even if they hadn't recognized the urgent whisper, there was only one person on campus who would slip and call them that when sufficiently panicked. "Perr! Where _are_ you?"

"I don't know!" She was almost audibly shaking in fear. "I-I didn't see anything when they took me, but now I'm in this little room that smells like those rocks you collected when we were ten..."

"Limestone?"

"Um, I guess. And there's water, like a cave...?" She stopped talking with a squeak of fear, and there was a rustling as she hid her phone.

"I don't know what she's bitching about," a voice they recognized as Will's said. "I mean, we're fine. The third one went so fast, we didn't need to collect her again. This one replaces the airhead, so we just need to score one more for the ritual for the new moon. It'll be cake."

Someone else, whom they didn't recognize, sighed in exasperation. "You have no brain at all, do you?"

"What are-"

"She's _awake_ , moron." The voice got closer to Perry. "Good news, miss Floor Don. The dean will see you, now." There was the sound of a struggle... and the clatter of the phone hitting the ground. "Oh, I don't... You didn't even _search_ her, first?!" Whoever it was sounded like he didn't know whether to be incredulous or disgusted with Will. There was a brief sound of impact, then nothing. Likely, the phone had been crushed.

"Perry?" they called uselessly into their own phone. "Perry!"

Silence.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Had they just run into each other on the street, Laura wouldn't have immediately known that she and Josephine were at all related, let alone sisters.

The one-time Summer Society president was a good four or five inches taller than she was - her dad wasn't exactly short, either, making her wonder where her own lack of height had come from - with curly, fiery red hair that hung to her waist (presumably, she'd used her magic to avoid tangles) and light blue eyes. And yet, if she looked hard enough, there were slight echoes of Titania in her features, as there were in her own.

The image took a deep breath. "If someone's watching this," she began, a faint British accent in her voice, "I presume that means I'm dead, and my efforts to stop the senseless deaths on campus have failed. I hope that isn't the case, and certainly have no intention of going down without a fight, but I'm not so arrogant as to think myself invincible." She smoothed out the white blouse she was wearing, tucked into a black skirt long enough to reach the floor. A brown leather belt kept it secure.

"If I did die... I'm sorry, Mom. I'm so sorry. After what happened to Hazel, I know you wanted me to take up the mantle of Princess. And I will - or I intended to, I suppose - but I could not, in good conscience, live with myself knowing that I had the chance to save lives and avert a cycle of needless deaths, but chose not to try. I know you don't want me to, that I'm your last living child, but... You _know_ I have to try." She shook her head. "This isn't your fault. Promise me you won't blame yourself for not raising me differently. What's happening on this campus is _wrong_ , and you know it." Her eyes narrowed. "As best I can tell, there are no restrictions on the Deep One's diet. The dean could feed it a herd of cows every twenty years, and it would likely stay somnolent. She argues that the souls it devours increases its power, but I don't see why she _needs_ to do that. There are other creatures, in Faerie and beyond, that could act as Guardian to the Gate. She seemed more receptive toward that suggestion, but will not stop the sacrifice while I search one out. I could understand that, were it not for the fact that we could bind the Beast where it lays, but she refuses to allow us to do so. Human lives have so little meaning to her that she refuses to compromise her pride even the slightest bit."

She sat down on the bed - it didn't move with her, which was slightly jarring - and sighed. "Bloody rat, she is," she muttered. "I'd love to just burn her to ashes and have done with it, but I suppose that would raise its own problems." She grumbled something under her breath in what sounded like Welsh, one leg drawn up under her while the other swung freely, and Laura realized she was sitting there barefoot. That detail combined with her grousing to suddenly make Josephine a real person to her. She tried clinging to her previous dispassionate state, but it wouldn't return. Josephine had been a person, with her own thoughts and feelings, desires and goals...

And the dean, unwilling to compromise, had simply had her killed. Like she didn't matter. Like life was utterly unimportant, unless the person in question was a vampire. Or possibly just _her_.

Her fists clenched, and the temperature in the room slowly started climbing.

As if she could somehow sense it, Josephine looked up, seemingly right at her. (She realized a second later that her sister was actually looking at the orb recording her, but it had still been a disconcerting moment.) "Whoever it is watching this, I can only presume you're related to me in some way, or the House wouldn't have let you in. I want to tell you to be careful, that Mom shouldn't ever have to lose any more of her children... but I won't. What I will say is this: _try again_. Do what you need to, take up the mantle of Princess if you must, and _save them_. Since Lilith took over custodianship of the Gate in 1551, she'd been feeding girls to it every twenty years, and they're all awake and aware within the Light. _All of them_. Such a fate I would not inflict upon my worst enemy. But do _not_ be careless. Arm yourself with as much knowledge as you can, gather up every weapon you can find, and come up with a plan of attack. Mom will likely have placed bindings on any or all of her servants that you've come into contact with. Seek out other sources of information. There's something in the top left drawer of my desk that may help with that. If you _do_ make use of that, however, be warned: you cannot trust her. Not to tell you everything, and not to double-cross you if she can get away with it. If you choose to ask her questions, you'll likely only get a set amount, so think _carefully_ about what you want to know, and phrase them so as not to leave any room for misinterpretation. Do not call for her until you're ready."

Her expression softened. "And Kheelan... If _you're_ watching this, I can only hope I did you proud, in the end." Laura blinked, not having considered that he might have played teacher to any of her deceased siblings. "Hopefully, this _was_ just a precautionary measure, and we're celebrating my heroic victory right now." A wicked smile crept onto her face. "I do so enjoy our _celebrations_..."

And apparently, Josephine had been Teacher's Pet. Well, that was... She didn't actually know what that was. 'Interesting' fell short, but nothing else quite fit. Maybe she could ask him about her, later, if the subject wasn't too painful (or forbidden). They'd seemed to know each other _quite_ well, after all.

Josephine stood up, smile fading away, leaving only solemn determination in its wake. "I suppose there's really nothing else to say. There's enough unrest on campus to cover my actions - as much as I hate bringing the humans into this, they _are_ the ones being sacrificed, so it's as much their fight as mine, and with my Summer sisters forbidden from fighting alongside me, I have no other allies. If I am to do this, it has to be now. I love you, Mom. If nothing else, please don't ever forget that. Goodbye." She waved a hand, and the image faded away, orb going dark once again.

For a long moment, Laura simply stood there, tears sliding down her face, unnoticed. She didn't really know anything about Josephine - and would never get the chance to get to know her - but something told her they would have gotten along quite well. She certainly seemed to have been brave, strong, passionate about her ideals, and willing to die for them if she needed to. Laura had no doubt she would have made for an _awesome_ big sister. Someone to talk to who could have understood what she was going through, helped her adjust, been there to talk to. She'd always wanted a sister, but...

But she wouldn't ever have one. Because of the dean.

She was still too numb to feel as angry as she probably should, but that was a good thing, she supposed - she didn't want to burn Josephine's room to ashes, after all. She turned and reached for the drawer Josephine had mentioned, not at all surprised when the lock clicked open the second she touched it. Inside was a slender light blue box. Inside _that_ was a necklace with a delicate silver and diamond snowflake. There was a magic humming in it that she didn't recognize, powerful but alien. Not harmful, but somehow _wrong_. Cold.

Winter, she realized. Whoever had made this was part of the Winter Court. And as such, wouldn't be bound by Queen Titania's decrees. She closed the box, holding it against her chest. "Thanks, Josephine," she said softly.

"Josie."

She turned to find her mother standing behind her, watching her sadly. "Hmm?"

"She preferred to be called 'Josie'," Titania explained.

Josie. Somehow, it fit her perfectly. "She left a message..."

"I've seen it."

Of course she had. And she hadn't come back, hadn't answered any summons from the Summer Society, because it had probably been too painful. "How did she die?" She hated to have to ask, especially then, but she had to know.

"A demon lord. I don't know what it was promised in exchange, but it did not get the chance to collect: As she promised, Josie did _not_ go down without a fight, and it did not survive its injuries."

_Atta girl, Josie,_ Laura silently commended her late sister. "You know who hired it... right?"

"Of course. As she was actively disrupting the sacrifice, I could do nothing to punish the dean of students as she deserved."

Given that Laura _also_ intended to actively disrupt the sacrifice... "How do I keep her from doing the same thing to me? Aside from the obvious, I mean." Because she really didn't want to hear anything more about mantles, right then.

"I could not punish her. The demon lord, however... Everyone it knew and loved were slain. It was made clear that any others who agreed to a contract on one of my children would suffer the same fate. As such, she would have to slay you herself."

Well, it wasn't like she hadn't known that her mother could be scary as hell, if she felt like it. That was evidently part and parcel of being a Faerie Queen. "Um... Okay..." If only that was something Lilith - or Lilita Morgan, or whatever she felt like calling herself today - would be at all hesitant to do. She knew she wasn't strong enough for that fight, yet. "Josephine - I mean, Josie - she... She said something about other creatures that could act as the Gate's Guardian. I'd planned on asking you about that anyway..."

"There are," Titania agreed. "However, at present, none of a suitable temperament that we would have any authority over are yet matured enough to take over."

Of course not. Clearly, that would be too _easy_. "How long...?"

"Several years, at least."

_Goddammit._ A moment later, though, something else occurred to her. "If you can speed up time in different parts of Faerie, could you maybe...?"

Titania paused, and Laura's stomach sank. "That _could_ potentially be done," she began, but Laura wasn't reassured; she could _sense_ the other shoe ready to fall. "However, even if I did so, I could not give you something that would so alter the balance of power. It is often said that nothing given by the sidhe comes without a price. No gift can be received without giving back something of equal value. That you are my daughter allows me to stretch that, with you, but there are still limits. Were the dean to agree, allow us to kill and replace the Deep One, and provide an equal favor in exchange, things would be different... But I do not believe she would wish to so indebt herself to us. And truthfully, even if she did, I will not help that woman in any fashion, let alone to cling to the power she so desperately covets."

Laura honestly wasn't terribly surprised. She doubted she'd be any more forgiving, in the Queen's position. Unfortunately, that didn't help her any. "So, we're back to the plan of shattering the Light and somehow binding the Deep One, only now we have to add 'killing the dean' back into the mix?"

"Unless you wish to let the current order of things stand."

Which she obviously couldn't do. Knowing that Titania had lost a daughter to this quest before, though, made her hesitant to just say so. Instead, she paused for several moments, then looked at her mother and told her seriously, "I promise... I won't start this fight until I _know_ I can win it."

"Thank you," the Queen said quietly.

"So... What's this, anyway?" she asked, holding up the box and opening it to display the necklace within.

"It belonged to your cousin. She either gave it away, or it was stolen, and Josie took it off the body of a dead goblin."

"...Jenna's not that old."

"No, your _actual_ cousin, the Princess of Winter."

"That's... Maeve? Or Mab?" The texts she'd found online when researching her heritage (once she'd finally stopped denying it was true) had often used the two names interchangeably.

"Maeve. Mab is her mother."

So she'd basically named her daughter after herself, but had at least been more original than just calling her Mab, Jr. or Mab the 2nd. She closed the box, lowering it as she asked, "What's she like?"

"Maeve is a sadistic, spoiled child."

"...oh," she said, taken aback by the blunt answer. "And... her mother?"

Titania looked at her seriously. "The Queen of Air and Darkness is not one you should approach, my little dahlia. Think of every fairy-tale villainess you've ever heard of. Think of the wicked witches, the evil queens, the mad enchantresses. Think of the alluring sirens, the hungry ogresses, the savage she-beasts. Think of them and remember that somewhere, sometime, they've all been real.

"Mab gave them _lessons_. Truthfully, I believe she set up a certification process, to make sure they all measured up to her standards. She is cold and calculating, a being who believes in logic and reason above all else."

Um... Yikes. It was probably just as well, Laura supposed, that she had no idea how to summon either one of them, yet. If she was to approach Maeve for answers, she obviously needed to be _very_ careful, beyond even what Josie had recommended.

She also might need to start carrying some iron.

"You believe?" she finally asked. "You don't know?"

"My sister and I have not exchanged words since Hastings."

She wanted to ask why, but something in her mother's expression said this would not be a wise move. Thinking about it, she probably didn't want to know. Something that could cause that level of dysfunction... Yeah, asking about that couldn't lead to anything good, especially when she and Titania were still working to reestablish their own relationship. She'd leave dealing with her extended family until well after everything else was sorted out.

That didn't mean she couldn't find it sad, though.

Laura pulled her mother into a hug. There really wasn't anything left to say, just then.

* * *

She supposed it was her own fault for being careless. She'd gotten so used to Laura's menagerie of friends finally displaying manners that she'd gotten careless. She knew Laura had left early - she'd briefly woken up as well when her lover had been getting out of bed - but she hadn't even thought to lock the door after her, instead snuggling back against Laura's yellow pillow and going back to sleep.

As such, when an agitated LaFontaine burst into their room far, far too early in the day for such nonsense, she really had no one to blame but herself.

"Where's Laura?!" they demanded anxiously. Finding Carmilla in Laura's bed didn't seem to phase them in the slightest.

"The same place she always is this early: The Summer Society," she replied, trying to shake out the cobwebs and wake up fully. While she might hope that the Bio Major would just accept that answer and race off to bother the Summers, she could instinctively tell that whatever had them so tweaked, it was not something that would be so simply resolved. "Why?"

"They've taken Perry!"

She couldn't have heard that right. "What?" she asked, confused, as she reached down to the floor and retrieved her shirt. She obviously couldn't stay laying down for this conversation, and she didn't feel like putting on a free show.

"Your mother's minions! There was blood on her pillow, and she managed to call me before one of them crushed her phone. I found _this_ stapled to the door on my way out of our room." She thrust a depressingly familiar notecard at Carmilla.

The vampire dutifully read it aloud. "'Dear student: your roommate no longer attends Silas...' Great." They'd selected option C: 'experienced a psychological event that left him or her unfit for student life', which she could actually believe regarding Curly Sue. She knew better than to say so, however. "Why would they take _Perry_?" she wondered aloud. "She doesn't quite fit in with the others at all. Hell, she's not even a freshman." Something that all the other sacrifices, including Laura, had been.

"I don't know! But we have to _find_ her!"

"Her, and all the others. Though, chances are, if we wait a few days, she'll be back."

"I can't just sit and wait!" They weren't shouting, at least, but that didn't make their exclamation any less intense. "You didn't hear her. She was so _scared_..."

Yeah, Miss 'I love normality!' probably wouldn't be coping with things well. "Maybe you should get back to finding a way to kill the parasites without hurting her, then?" she suggested. "That seems like something that would be helpful to know for when she's returned. We can't expect Laura to do everything."

"About what?" Laura's voice asked from the doorway.

Carmilla turned to find that LaFontaine, in their rush, hadn't bothered closing the door after bursting into the room. (They really needed to be more careful about that sort of thing.) Laura was standing there, looking red-eyed and tired. Experience told her that Laura had been crying, something not totally unexpected, given that she'd been going to search through her dead sister's belongings. (Or that was what a half-awake Carmilla had picked up, anyway.) She had a jewelry box clutched in one hand.

"Perry's been taken." LaFontaine sounded far less frantic by now, possibly a result of having something concrete to focus their attention on

" _Perry_?" Laura looked more awake, now, though also more confused. "Why would they...?"

"I don't know. Why would they take anyone?" Carmilla replied. She pulled on her pants, knowing there was no hope of being allowed to go back to sleep now. "Find out anything useful from the Summers?"

"Maybe. Not necessarily helpful in finding the girls. The dean _did_ arrange to have Josie killed, so Mom understandably refuses to have anything to do with anything that might help her, in any way."

"Josie?" LaF asked, not having been around when Laura was reading through the minutes.

"The president of the Summer Society back in 1904... and my sister. Her last living child before me, I think."

"Then why hasn't she stomped all over her?"

"She can't," Carmilla said before Laura could take offense at their tone. "Rules, Laws, Etiquette... You know how binding they are to the Fae. Hell, you got a close-up look at how even an unaffiliated changeling reacted to their near-breach."

"There might be someone I can ask for some answers, at least," Laura said, looking down at the jewelry box. How a necklace would help, Carmilla had no idea. "But I can't do that until I know the right _questions_. So, where's that Sumerian book?"

What followed was a significant amount of researching, which, unfortunately, did _not_ result in a significant amount of answers. Nothing in the book matched any description they had of the so-called 'Deep One', while LaFontaine and JP's combined efforts were unable to find a way to adversely affect the parasites without also harming or killing the host. (Without a sample of living parasites, there was no way to tell if Laura could do anything about them or not.)

She didn't want to admit it, but it was possible that the dean, knowing she'd want to try and help her friend (and there would be no way to pass Perry's absence off as anything but what it was, thanks to her desperate phone call to LaFontaine), simply _wouldn't_ release Perry. They hadn't returned Elsie, after all, and prior to Laura's involvement, she'd been the one the Summers _would_ have done everything they could to help. She didn't voice her fear, though, so as not to freak LaF out any more than they already were.

Still, as the day wore on - and classes were ignored - the lack of answers started getting to her. When Carmilla got up to get another glass of blood from the fridge, Laura stared down at a blank spot on one of the pages in frustration. "I don't get it," she ground out. "There is _supposed_ to be something in here that talks about the Light."

"We've been through the book backward and forward," Carmilla noted as she put the blood carton away.

"I know, but... There..." With a wordless cry of frustration, she slammed a hand down on the offending book... which promptly burst into flame. She jerked away, startled - she didn't jump away because she'd learned that, while not _necessarily_ fireproof, her own fire couldn't hurt her. Carmilla was at her side before she could blink, but paused in the act of trying to tug her farther away.

Laura could see why, too. "Is... Is that new text appearing because I set it on fire?" she asked, looking in confused surprise down at what _had_ been a blank section of page. The fire had died out as quickly as it had appeared, which was the other reason Carmilla hadn't bodily removed her, Summer princess or not. "Of course it is," she answered herself. "I mean, why wouldn't it be? I can always be _that much more_ of a freak of nature, after all."

"The fire was probably just you burning through whatever magic was veiling the entry," Carmilla decided, studying it.

That did make a kind of sense, she supposed. "So, what's it say?"

"It's an entry for something called... Lophiiformes. The Light that Devours."

"That sounds promising."

"An ancient evil that demands... I'm not sure about the symbol there... five... shocker, virgins, every twenty years."

"I don't think Perry's a virgin, though," LaF noted.

"I _know_ Betty wasn't," Laura agreed. "Starting to wonder if whoever wrote this wasn't a bit... obsessed, or something."

"Couldn't tell you," Carmilla said with a shrug. "Anyway, 'once the victims are marked, their world narrows to celebration'."

"It likes party girls. That confirms it, this is definitely the Deep One everyone keeps mentioning. Does it say anything in there about hurting or killing it?" Not that she intended to kill it - not yet, anyway - but if it was vulnerable to something in particular, she might be able to use that to take out the Light.

She still didn't know why that was evidently a separate thing, if the creature itself was 'the Light that Devours'.

Carmilla sighed. "Uh, 'old as the ocean's depths, the light that betrays all', blah blah blah blah, 'draws the devoured to it and consumes their minds, which increases the Light, and draws in more of the devoured'."

"That agrees with what Josie said." Laura had, as the day had gone on, filled them in on what she'd learned that morning. "She also said that, in terms of survival, it doesn't _need_ to eat people. It increases its power, though, so it certainly _wants_ them. I guess the dean just... doesn't care?"

"I'd say she cares," Carmilla disagreed. "She went to an awful lot of trouble to secure them, before opening up this college, after all. Why she'd want to juice the thing up, though... Maybe she doesn't like Summer looking over her shoulder."

"Like we didn't have enough reasons to stop her, already..."

"Lophiiformes..." LaF said slowly, ignoring the byplay. "I know that word, from somewhere."

"You do?" Laura asked in surprise.

"Yeah, I think... Now I remember. From one of my biology textbooks. It's an order of marine fish, like the anglerfish."

"The light is separate from the creature," Laura said in realization. "That's what that means! We can destroy the Light without having to worry about killing the Deep One, because it's some sort of anglerfish-type monster."

"Yeah... It's been a while since I had to sit through any biology classes, but I do remember the size differential between the light and the fish," Carmilla drawled. "If the Light itself is huge..."

"...does it say anything in there about how to hurt it?" Laura asked again, weakly.

"No, it's more in the all-hail-and-cower-muling-worms vein."

"Great." She took a deep breath, deliberately shoving her depressing thoughts out of her mind as best she could. "Then it's time to move onto weapons research." And maybe worry about her Lit paper, which she was woefully behind on, a distant corner of her mind noted. That could wait, though.

If she couldn't stop the dean from sacrificing the girls, she really wasn't going to care about her grades at the woman's school.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because tomorrow's Thanksgiving, and I'm not likely to be at my computer much, I'm posting this now - as well as so any readers who also celebrate it will have a chance to read this without staying up too late.

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

As it turned out, there were an alarming number of weapons in and around Silas University.

There were a number listed in the book, too, which, if any of them wound up being suitable to the task at hand... Well, Laura would have to get Kheelan to teach her that 'shortcut through Faerie' trick he used to get them to their training locations. Of course, since the book only listed weapons, rather than describing them or saying where they were located, she'd first have to carefully research each and every single one of them, which would take forever.

Really, she was pretty sure JP would have better luck searching through the school's restricted files. (Though, if he could get in with only a few commands, how 'restricted' could they be?)

Since she couldn't read Sumerian, or help JP in hacking (LaFontaine had left to try out a few new methods of dealing with the parasites in one of the bio labs), she'd been reduced to actually working on her Lit paper, just for something to do. She'd actually made considerable progress on it - she might not care about what her grades were at Evil U., but it was just in her nature to always try and give her best effort in whatever she did - when Carmilla set a list of weapons down on top of one of her books. "Here. These look like the top contenders."

Laura picked it up and examined it, all too happy to set her schoolwork aside. "Okay." She reached up and pulled Carmilla down into a kiss, because... Well, she didn't think she needed a reason, actually. She just wanted a kiss, and Carmilla was only too happy to give it to her. "Okay," she said again after they separated, flushed and slightly breathless. She cleared her throat and said, "Okay, so now comes the hours of looking these up one by one..." Something occurred to her. "...or I could just..." She raised her voice a little. "Kheelan? Could you come here, please?"

"He's not going to be able to-" Carmilla started to say, even as he appeared in the room.

"Yes, Your Highness?"

She'd meant to just keep things professional, really she had. The moment he appeared, though, Josie's words to him came flooding back, and she'd stood up and crossed the room to pull him into a hug before she knew it.

"Um..." he began, obviously taken aback by this.

"I saw Josie's message."

"...ah." He didn't hug her back or anything - not that she'd expected him to - but he did at least stop looking so disturbed.

"Why didn't you ever say anything about her?" she asked once she'd let go and stepped back.

"Her loss... was painful to all of us, particularly the Queen. Discussing her lost daughter is not forbidden, precisely, but it is certainly not encouraged."

She could understand that. She still wanted to know more, but... Well, maybe this wasn't the right time. "Should I even ask about Hazel?"

He hesitated a moment, then cautiously said, "I mean no insult by this, Your Highness, but you do not yet have a sufficient grasp of the spatial, political, or magical aspects of the supernatural world to even understand _how_ she died, let alone what killed her. I _can_ tell you it involved a certain set of circumstances that only occur once every three thousand years, though."

"Well, that's... good, I guess." At least she wouldn't have to worry about whatever _that_ had been. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you about some mystical weapons that we might use on Lophiiformes."

He held up a hand to stop her. "I am sorry, Your Highness, but I'm afraid I cannot help you with that."

She'd been expecting as much. "Because Mom put a geas on you to stop you from telling me about anything that might work?" Titania had all but admitted that she wasn't happy about this, and wouldn't support anything that might lead to a fight that could her her daughter killed, after all. "Hypothetically speaking, if I asked you about such a weapon anyway, what would happen?"

"In such a situation, I would simply be unable to answer your question, princess."

"Excellent." She went back to the desk and picked up the list. "So, I'm just gonna ask you to tell me about a few weapons we came across during our reading. If you clam up, I'll know we're onto something."

"I'm not certain the Queen would approve of this..."

Laura waved that off. "Sure, she would. If I, a total beginner at this sort of thing, managed to think of a loophole like that, do you really think she wouldn't have? She's the Queen. If she _really_ didn't want me knowing, she would have given you instructions on how to deal with this specific scenario, wouldn't she?"

"There's a certain twisted logic to that," Carmilla agreed.

"Apparently, twisted logic is something the Fae do better than anyone," Laura noted with a small half-smile. "Besides, learning the ins and outs of dealing with such bindings is something I need to know how to do, if I'm going to continue having any dealings with Faerie after all this is over, so why not start now?"

"As you wish, Your Highness." Kheelan looked faintly amused... and, for just a second, like he was lost in memory. Had Josie said something similar to him, once?

She'd have to ask later. "Okay, let's start with... Ascalon."

"An enchanted spear that kills dragons, but only if you're a Christian saint."

Somehow, even if they could find a living saint, she doubted 'anglerfish monster' and 'dragon' were close enough for that to work. "The Scepter of Kerykeion?"

"Will heal them."

"No wonder they were listed together," Carmilla noted.

"Wait, it'll heal dragons, or Christian saints?" Laura asked.

"Does it matter? We don't have either one."

"We might in the future."

"Well, if that ever happens, we can figure it out then."

"Okay, okay. Let's see, the... Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch? Really?" She shot a look at Carmilla, who only shrugged.

"That would be perfect for dealing with an influx of monstrous rabbits," Kheelan told her with a perfectly straight face.

She couldn't tell if he was describing a real weapon, or if he'd just seen the movie, too. Either way, not helpful in terms of what they needed. She was about to move onto the next item on the list when a beep from the computer caught her attention. She looked over to find JP displaying a result from his own search. "The Blade of Hastur?" she wondered aloud, mildly confused. Hadn't there been a Hasturmenchen listed in the minutes of the Silas Board of Governors meeting?

Silence.

She turned to see a by-now familiar blank look settle across Kheelan's face. "Ah ha..." she murmured, looking back at the computer to study the picture being displayed more carefully. "'Forged from the burnt bones of Starspawn and meant to shatter all that oppose it.' That sounds promising, all right." She paused. "What's a starspawn, though?"

"With respect, Your Highness... I believe you don't really want to know."

Depressingly, that was probably true. She was still sometimes having trouble dealing with everything she'd already learned about, nevermind something with a name like _that_. "Well, anyway, this sounds like it might be our-" She broke off, seeing what else JP had typed on the screen. "Oh."

"What?" Carmilla asked.

"Well, it's sealed in the face of a cliff in an underwater cavern, like, a thousand feet below sea level. Nobody could survive that, which is probably the point." She paused, thinking. "Maybe if I could manage to, like, change myself into a mermaid, or something..."

"I'm sorry, Your Highness, but altering your physical form in such a fashion is not something you would be able to learn how to do in time to stop the upcoming sacrifice."

She eyed him. "So you can tell me _that_ , but not what _would_ help?"

"I am not forbidden from discussing things that have nothing to do with your current quest, princess."

"Right." She sighed. "Maybe we just need something a little less Epic Quest, and a little more 'borrowed from the Museum of Warfare and Attrocities'."

"No, we don't," Carmilla interjected.

"Did you miss the 'nobody could survive that' part?"

"Unless the person in question isn't alive to begin with."

"Huh?"

"Pressure depth and nitrogen narcosis aren't really issues for a vampire."

She... hadn't even thought about that. Still, though... "The cavern in question is in Lake Baikal. In _Siberia_."

"...huh."

"Yeah. So, unless you think your mom wouldn't notice you hopping a plane to Russia, I think I'm gonna need to be involved in this, one way or another." She turned to Kheelan. "So, that little trick you use to get us to and from whatever location my current lesson might be being held in... Can you teach me how to do that?"

"Yes..." he said slowly. "Though I should warn you, even with your instinctive grasp of some forms of magic, it will require considerable concentration and desire to manage to get where you wish to go. You should not attempt such a trip until you have mastered the skill."

Because bringing them there himself would fall under the category of helping her start a fight that might get her killed, which the Queen had forbidden. It was always something... "I promised Mom I wouldn't start this fight until I _knew_ I could win it," she told him. "And given both who she is, and who I am... I know how binding a promise like that is."

He did look a little relieved - which, given his usual level of control, meant she'd just taken a _huge_ weight off his shoulders. "That is good to hear, Your Highness." He paused. "In the event that you managed to discover the sword on your own, I am allowed to tell you one thing."

This was unexpected. "Oh?"

"You cannot use it."

She sputtered. "Wait... If it wasn't going to do us any good, why couldn't you just-"

"You misunderstand me, Your Highness," he interrupted. " _You_ cannot use it."

She blinked. "Um, why? Is it like iron is to full-blooded fae, or something?"

"I know little about the Blade, myself," he admitted. "However, the Queen made it quite clear that _you_ must not even try using it in battle." He paused. "She also implied that _you_ were not the one with much to atone for, nor much to prove."

"She wants _Carmilla_ to do it?"

"She probably _wants_ us to forget the whole idea, completely," Carmilla said. "You'd be busy fighting my mother, anyway. And her minions. And the hellhounds."

"And the _what_ , now?"

"Guard dogs. Sort of."

"Great." She shook her head. "I _can't_ just forget about this and go on with my life, though," she told Kheelan. "If you saw Josie's message, you know why."

"...I do," he acknowledged softly.

"Can you tell me what _she_ planned to do?" she asked. "I mean, that's discussing the past, not something I might do in the future, so it _should_ be okay..."

"She intended to distract the vampires with the riots taking place on campus, infiltrate the caverns where the sacrifices were being kept and send them to the Summer Society, and seal shut the Deep One's lair, ensuring it remained asleep. Unfortunately, no sooner had she begun, than the demon lord attacked her. The ensuing fight took them all over campus."

"Which is the real reason half of it burned down?" Carmilla guessed.

"Indeed. To prevent any further student casualties, she took the fight into Faerie itself. She... succeeded in that, at least."

There was a brief silence, during which Laura finally understood why her very first lesson had involved learning how to recognize the energy signatures of those from the demon plane. After another few moments, she broke the silence to ask, "Would Josie's plan have worked, if she'd had the chance to carry it out?" A pause. "You know, hypothetically?"

He considered that. "Possibly. Avoiding a direct confrontation with Lilith was wise, given her lack of support, but the requirements of the Sealing might well have been beyond her."

"Well, I don't plan on doing this alone, so that should help. Though I'd like to learn more about this whole 'Sealing' thing at some point."

"That is something you would need the Queen to teach you, Your Highness."

Which, knowing why she'd want to know, she almost certainly wouldn't want to do. Great. "Of course it is," she said with a sigh. "So, can we add learning the traveling thing into tomorrow's lesson? Or starting to learn it, anyway?"

"As you wish, princess."

Okay. They had a plan - or a solid beginning to one, anyway - and knew where to find the weapon they needed to carry it out. They were making definite progress. "Right. So, in the likely futile effort to keep my academic future from imploding, I should probably get back to my homework, then get some sleep. We'll resume lessons bright and early in the morning." She hesitated, then asked, "If I... ever wanted to visit Josie's grave - or memorial, or whatever it is the fae do - could you take me there?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot."

She frowned. "Why not? I mean, if she died in Faerie-"

"She did, Your Highness. Unfortunately, due to the time of year and place she left from, she wound up bringing the fight into deep Winter. From what I understand, the Winter Queen herself laid her to rest."

"Huh. That... doesn't sound like the same person Mom told me about."

"Even in Winter, the cold isn't always bitter, and not every day is cruel."

There really wasn't anything she could say to that.

* * *

She hadn't meant to get drawn into the argument. Really, she hadn't. Truthfully, she still didn't quite understand how she _had_ been.

Most people seemed to ignore her, after all. Those that noticed her in the first place.

That sort of thing was murder on her social life, but ever since Laura and her friends had explained what was actually happening on campus - and ever since Rose's encounter with Laura's faerie bodyguard/teacher/chaperone - Mary had come to realize being so socially invisible had its advantages.

(She'd also come to realize that Laura had almost certainly stumbled across the most interesting topic for her journalism project. She wasn't about to change her own, though. Even if she _had_ had enough time left to scrap all her work and start over, she wasn't going to just copy someone else. She had more journalistic integrity than that.)

She'd been on her way to class when she'd spotted that girl, Elsa, from the Alchemy Club. The other day, she'd bumped into that Zeta, Will... Something-Or-Other, and gotten some kind of goop on her hand. Not knowing where to find LaFontaine, she'd been forced to go to the Alchemy Club to get it analyzed. As she should have expected - and might have, had she really stopped and thought about it - it was cerebral spinal fluid. Her reaction was... distinctly more embarrassing than Laura's had been. Fainting in front of someone was bad enough. Fainting in front of her, and waking up to find her standing over you, a vacant look in her eyes like she was thinking about what a great specimen you'd make, on the other hand...

She hadn't been able to get out of there fast enough.

In order to avoid reliving that embarrassment - and continue trying to forget she'd had _brain fluid_ on her hand - she was trying to avoid anyone related to the Alchemy Club... or the Zetas, for that matter. (Or Will, anyway. Apparently, the others were okay. That Kirsch guy that stopped by Laura's room now and then seemed nice enough.) Unfortunately, this wound up bringing her in proximity to an ongoing... spirited discussion, she decided to call it, since it hadn't quite evolved into a fight quite yet. Some jock-looking guy she didn't recognize and a blonde discussing... videos?

Maybe she'd unconsciously slowed as she passed by to try and hear more. In any event, the guy had noticed her and broke off the discussion to call, "Hey, you! What do you think about that Hollis girl's videos?"

_Uh-oh._ Something told her she needed to be careful. "...what videos?" she asked warily. His aura was a mix of dark pink, cloudy blue, and black. The blonde, on the other hand, had a mostly royal blue aura, with splashes of black. _Not_ positive combinations, either of them. And she'd thought Laura's had been bad.

Which it had been. Still was. Though, knowing what she did now, she was willing to bet that had been partially due to her stifling upbringing, but largely because of whatever had been binding her magic. With that set free, and Laura having more centered herself, getting her mother back, finding someone to love, learning more about who she really was... Her aura had shifted dramatically, becoming a wild rainbow of color: pale yellow, orange-red, pink, a green that fluctuated between forest green and turquoise, and significant amounts of white and gold. She'd never encountered such a vibrant, _bright_ aura. It had become somewhat painful to look directly at Laura.

"See?" the guy said, absently waving a hand at her. "She can't seem them, either." That seemed to prove something, as far as he was concerned.

To Mary, it proved this guy was trouble. Laura had told her about the veil placed on her videos, though not in any great detail. (By that point in the story, Mary had begun having trouble absorbing all the details, which Laura had likely noticed.) If he couldn't see them, he wasn't to be trusted.

The blonde woman eyed her carefully, then shook her head. "I can't undo magic of that level, Gary. Even trying would likely be unwise. Besides, you're not missing much. If she's recording the more interesting events, she's not posting them online."

Based on her aura, and what Laura had told her of the dean's cabal, Mary tentatively decided this was probably the Cassandra she'd mentioned. A seer-slash-sorceress that Dean Morgan employed. Best to get away from her as quickly as possible, preferably without attracting any attention... or inspiring any compromising visions. She didn't quite know how to block those, but she did know a few basic psychic obscuration methods that she promptly began performing in her head. They wouldn't stop any real efforts, but with luck, they'd keep any random visions from springing into existence. "Yeah, I don't... I have class to get to," she said, stepping away and resuming her course, making sure to keep a wide berth between them and her.

Hopefully, Laura would actually show up for Journalism class today. It seemed they had a few things to talk about.

* * *

Laura was seriously contemplating just going back to bed.

The magic required for the shortcut-style method of travel she wanted to learn wasn't a problem - since she'd learned proper control and precision, having sufficient magic was _never_ a problem, anymore - but maintaining the focus she needed to even grasp how it was done, let alone do so, while summoning up her will to shape her magic into establishing the transit was rather draining, in and of itself. And headache-inducing. It was mostly a dull throb, which was slowly fading even as she walked away from the Summer Society and across campus toward her Journalism class.

Kheelan hadn't been kidding about how hard it would be to learn how to do it. The worst part was, she hadn't even managed to produce a stable transit when he'd called the lesson to a close. Or even unstable ones, really. And since, due to the nature of what she wanted to learn, they could only do it in the human realm, and she needed all of her focus, that meant no convenient time stretching, and she'd raise suspicions if she missed too many classes.

Still, thinking about her bed was far too tempting.

She wouldn't do it, though. Even aside from all her other reasons, she wanted to talk to Professor Cochrane about her project, and give her a jump drive with the videos she'd made that she'd deemed too sensitive to post online. She also kind of wanted some advice on the whole matter. The professor just gave off this air of someone who'd both been there and done that, and had rejected the T-Shirt as being substandard. Getting her take on things could be quite interesting.

She was just passing the Faculty Club building - idly wondering if they were really a _club_ , as such - when she realized time had seemingly stopped, again. Worse, _she wasn't the one doing it_.

"I hope you don't mind," someone said behind her. She whirled to find a tall, somewhat unfamiliar-looking girl standing there. "I wanted to have a little talk with you, away from prying eyes - or ears, for that matter."

Laura studied her. Her features were pale, radiant, perfect... Too much so to be human. She looked roughly Laura's own age, maybe a few years older, but she didn't believe _that_ for one second. She wore dark, dark blue leather pants, with matching boots. She also had on a white t-shirt with the Silas University logo on it (presumably bought or conjured up to better blend in)... and it was late enough in the year to be cold enough that no one on campus wore less than two or three layers when going places, except maybe the vampires - or Laura, if she was in a hurry. She slowly realized that she'd seen this girl around campus a few times over the past several weeks. Between her looks and the silvery, metallic blue color of her hair, she was impossible to mistake for anybody else. "Talk about _what_?" she asked warily, backing up a step.

It simply got her a lazy smile in return. "Really, Laura... This is how you greet family?"

Her stomach dropped. She'd been afraid that... But no, this was even worse than she'd feared. "What?" she asked, hoping against hope that she was wrong.

As always, when she actually _wanted_ to be wrong, she never was. "Am I not allowed to come say hello to my long-lost cousin?" the girl asked, faux-innocently, a slightly malicious edge creeping into her smile. "You must have known actually _stopping_ time as you did would attract attention. I wanted to come get a look at the new girl."

This just went to show, things could always be worse than she'd imagined. In all her considerations of just what questions to ask, when and where to call her from... She'd never once considered that _Maeve might come to find her_.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

"You can't be here," Laura blurted out.

It was probably a foolish thing to say - Maeve's growing smirk certainly suggested as much - but she couldn't help it. So far, Titania had only come to see her within the walls of the Summer Society House, and the one time she'd left them had been carry out Laura's unwitting request to talk to Carmilla before judging her. If Etiquette and Protocol and whatever else didn't let her mother visit more often, it didn't seem right that Maeve could. And that wasn't even bringing the whole Winter thing into the mix.

"It would seem obvious that I can," Maeve countered, hands held out to encompass their surroundings.

"Winter isn't allowed here," Laura stubbornly insisted. That had been one of the first things Danny had told her, that first night, before even starting the discussion about magic properly.

"No, Winter isn't allowed any bases or support organizations here," Maeve corrected, swaggering closer. "I, myself, can visit as much as I want. And once I learned about you... Well." Her expression was... dubious, to put it charitably. "You're not much to look at, are you? Poor Kheelan, stuck teaching magic kindergarten."

Laura bristled, but shoved her reaction down. She had no intention of letting her cousin get a rise out of her like that, and especially not so easily. "So, you've seen me, and said hello. Now what?"

"Hmm, direct and to the point. Changelings not raised in Faerie are always so amusing." Maeve stopped about a foot away from her. "Yes, I have. I've also managed to pick up on what you plan to do. Do you really think you can succeed where Josie failed, girl? She'd been raised with her magic. Is there something about being a child of Summer that attracts you to suicidal quests?"

"I _think_ that I have to at least _try_ ," she snapped. "Is _that_ why you're here? I've heard it suggested that the dean might not appreciate Summer looking over her shoulder."

"Oh, my, does she ever not," Maeve murmured, smiling. "She would happily dismember all of your little playmates and bathe in their blood were she permitted to. However, I'm sure you've already been told that Summer's access to this campus is the result of a bargain struck long ago. I, being a representative of Winter, cannot disrupt that." She reached up and flicked a strand of hair away from Laura's face. "But you've not officially allied yourself with the Summer Court, have you? Really, if I wanted to, I could probably-"

At which point Laura jabbed the iron nail she'd begun palming at the start of the conversation into Maeve's forearm.

The Winter Princess let out a piercing shriek that reverberated in Laura's brain, blurring several steps away in the blink of an eye, an arc of blue-white fire trailing from the wound. The blood on the nail sizzled like grease on a hot skillet. Maeve opened her mouth, but whatever angry retort - or brain-melting scream, since her voice was a part of her power, as she'd just demonstrated - she'd intended to make was cut off when Laura punched her in the throat. Remembering how quickly Will had shrugged that off, she shoved her cousin backward until she hit the wall of the Faculty Club building, pinning her there by pressing ler left forearm against Maeve's throat, while holding the nail over her heart.

For a long moment, nothing moved.

Finally, Maeve let out a brief, quiet laugh, angry tension melting from her posture, a look of unmistakable satisfaction on her face. "Well, well. You just might do, after all."

"Oh, gosh. Praise from _you_. Now my day's complete."

"Well, really, Laura, if you couldn't handle a polite conversation with me, you'd never be able to deal with the political and diplomatic minefield that would come with being the Queen's daughter, Princess or not," Maeve said reasonably. "Nevermind defeating Lilith and her forces."

That... Laura actually believed. She'd heard enough about what being part of either court was like to agree with what Maeve said, and the dean _would_ swat her down easily if she let her anger get the better of her. "Polite conversations usually start by waiting to be invited somewhere."

Maeve simply smiled, saying nothing.

Right. Of course this wasn't going to be that easy. "If I let you go, will you behave yourself?" Because if Maeve let time slow back to normal for them, someone was bound to see her threatening a seemingly defenseless woman, and that would be... awkward, to explain.

"I find your terms acceptable," Maeve replied formally, the effect slightly ruined by the sparkling in her eyes. "Because this is the first time we've met, your initial... reactions, can be easily excused. As such, for the duration of this visit, I pledge to abide by the Laws of Hospitality. Thus is my word given."

Laura relaxed... mostly. "I should hope so," she warned as she let Maeve go and stepped back. "The last time someone even came close to breaching them, I did not react well."

"Naturally not." Maeve studied her. "Given that you did not attempt to simply order me to leave your shared territory - which you couldn't do without Lilith backing you up on that - I can only presume that you have something you wish to discuss with me."

Filing that information away - she doubted that she and the dean would ever agree enough to jointly banish someone, but it was good to know what that would take to do - she rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Like you don't already know?"

"Let me guess. Your dear mother is obstructing your efforts to get yourself killed in battle with Lilith, I take it?" Maeve smiled. "I certainly wouldn't mind helping you with that."

Laura eyed her. "Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm not starting this fight until I know I can win it."

"Disappoint me? Hardly. Impulsive behavior and letting her heart override her head is what got your sister killed. Having a peer in Summer who'd actually use her brain would be a refreshing change of pace."

_Calm. Be calm._ "Which sister?"

"Yes."

_Oh, for the love of..._ "Helpful," she said flatly.

"I pledged to behave as a proper guest would," Maeve reminded her. "Not to answer your questions. As even the mortals are aware, knowledge is power. As such, I can hardly just give it away."

"Not even to family?"

"Questions of the type I have already answered are as far as that would go."

Of course they were. "Suppose I had something to trade, then."

A blue-tinted eyebrow rose. "Do you?"

"I do now, thanks to Josie."

Maeve didn't seem to need more of an explanation than that. "I _had_ wondered where that had gone..." She considered. "That would get you three questions," she ultimately decided.

"No," Laura said simply.

The eyebrow rose higher. "Pardon?"

"Look, if you'd done this properly, and waited to be summoned, I'd have a better idea of which questions to ask," Laura replied evenly. "I suppose you could leave now, and we could still do it that way. Right now, the best I can do is give you a few subjects I want to know about, with individual questions for each to clarify matters. Three or four subjects should do. And if it's something you don't know anything about, that doesn't count; you just tell me, and I'll move on to something else."

Maeve shot her an annoyed look. "That would be highly irregular."

"What, a 'mere' mortal not allowing herself to be manipulated by the Fae?" Laura shot back. "Yeah, I'm sure it would be. Too bad."

For a moment - just a moment - a genuine smile tugged at Maeve's lips. It was enough to lead Laura to conclude that not only was she right, but also that some rebellious part of Maeve approved of her actions.

"Three or four?" the Winter Princess pressed.

She considered that. There were a lot of things she wanted to know about, but the necklace would only buy her so much information, so she needed to prioritize. Lophiiformes was an obvious choice, as was the Blade of Hastur. Her mother had already explained about the Gate, more or less, and she didn't really need to know about the political structure of the supernatural world enough to know who had appointed the dean to this job. After she killed her - something she still had trouble just thinking about doing, let alone _actually_ doing - she was sure her mom and Kheelan would fill her in on what she needed to know before the Board of Governers showed up. Maybe the whole mantle thing? She still hadn't gotten any specifics on that. She also wanted to know who'd hidden her from her mother, and why. "Three," she decided. That would leave her a backup in case Maeve came up blank on one topic.

"Very well. Three questions per topic."

Yeah, she'd expected something like that. "Asking something to clarify an answer doesn't count as one of those questions."

Maeve nodded. "Acceptable. Do we have a bargain?"

She thought frantically, trying to make sure she wasn't missing anything. She didn't think she was - nothing obvious, at any rate. "We do," she stated, hoping this was the right thing to do. She could feel a frisson of magic running down her spine, and fought not to react.

"Excellent. What would you like to know about?"

"We'll start with the really obvious one: Lophiiformes."

"I expected you would. Before you begin, I have no idea who placed it there in the first place," Maeve warned.

While it might have been potentially somewhat interesting information, that wasn't something she thought she really needed to know. "Okay. I know why it's there, so it doesn't really matter which former Gatekeeper decided to summon a bigger fish." How to phrase this...? "How can I destroy the Light without sending the creature into a rampage?"

"That would be the tricky part, alright," Maeve agreed. "Personally, I don't see why you _wouldn't_ want to sit back and watch it go on a rampage before resuming its post - it _is_ bound to that task, after all - but then, I don't see why you consider five girls every twenty years an unacceptable price to pay to prevent that, either."

Of course she didn't. If the Summer Queen was the Lady of Light and Life, then Winter likely held sway over darkness and death. "I could explain, but it would cost you extra," Laura told her evenly, pretty sure that was an appropriate response.

"Well, someone's a quick study," Maeve said, quietly amused. "In any event, should you successfully maim the Deep One - and that in and of itself could be difficult, given your current state, but even just throwing sufficient raw power at it would get the job done eventually - you _will_ drive it into a frenzy. In such an instance, you could either place a Seal upon it, or collapse the campus on top of it, burying it alive."

"I didn't think it was fully in this realm." She wanted to ask exactly where it was, but not only would that use up one of her questions, it would make it clear to Maeve - if she didn't already know - just _how_ ignorant Laura was about the situation she was intent on thrusting herself into.

"It's lair _is_ somewhat in flux," Maeve acknowledged. "But it does only have the one opening to the surface of the human world. Block that off in either fashion, and it will be trapped."

"Can it be killed, should it come to that?"

"If by that you mean, can it die, then yes. If you're asking whether that's allowed, no. That would be seen as an attack on the Gate, and would result in your swift and violent execution. Even the Summer Queen wouldn't be able to spare you from that." An eager light glinted in her eyes. "Please tell me you plan to try and kill it."

"I need to know how careful I have to be," Laura said, mildly disturbed at how much Maeve seemed to enjoy the thought of her gruesome death. "Besides, if or when I come up with a guardian beast that isn't such a finicky eater, I need to know I'd be able to get rid of the current one."

"Hmm... True enough. I imagine such a demanding pet would be a nuisance to maintain."

"Also, to clarify, what exactly do you mean when you say Seal?" She could hear the capitalization in the word.

"I mean that you would place a magical binding upon it, rendering it inert and sealing off access to both it and the Gate."

"I can do that? Jeez, you'd think the dean would be all over that option."

Amusement danced in her eyes. "I won't even charge you for that one. No, you can't. Not as you are now, not without _years_ of devoted study."

Laura shook her head, exasperated. "I swear, if _you_ start pushing me to take up the mantle, too..."

"I can assure you, I have no intention of doing so. Also, I believe that fully answers that question, and I _do_ have other things to be doing today."

That was two of her three questions on this subject. What else could she safely ask about? "This may be a bit of a stretch, but since destroying the Light will mean dealing with the dean as well, what can you tell me about what I'll be in for, in terms of a fight?"

Maeve's expression turned speculative, which she hoped was a good sign. "You already have a fair idea how strong and fast most vampires are. That fluctuates little as they age, though Lilith would naturally be at the high end of that bell curve."

"Naturally," Laura echoed, disgruntled.

As before, that only seemed to amuse Maeve. "Shapeshifting, striking at you with her voice, summoning forth creatures to aid her... Even at your current level, those would be things you should be able to handle. She would not be so foolish as to strike at a daughter of Summer with mind fire, either."

Mind fire...? Oh, right, pyrokinesis. She'd only seen Carmilla do that - and that had only been once - so she'd almost forgotten about it. She didn't think she was _exactly_ fireproof, but if her own fire couldn't hurt her, maybe other conjured fire couldn't, either.

"Even so, she is beyond you, mortal girl. She is, perhaps, not what she once was. But she still commands power of a like that you cannot hope to face as you are."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"

Maeve just looked at her. Then she said, "Let me put it to you this way..."

And a force like a hundred anvils smashed Laura backward, slamming her to the ground.

It was a confusing, painful transition. One second she was standing, the next she was flat on her back, gasping desperately for breath. She struggled to move, to push herself up, but she couldn't so much as lift an arm from the ground. She brought her will into focus the way Kheelan had taught her, with the idea of using it to deflect some of the crushing force away from herself... only to find it suddenly, sharply in contention with someone else's. It wasn't exactly magic that Maeve was using to hold her down, it was the simple, raw, brute application of her will. That was it. The will of the Winter Princess pinned her to the ground, and she could no more escape it or force it away than one of the flowers she'd conjured in the past could stop her from setting it alight.

She knew that. _Understood_ it. Yet, the pressure went on for a good ten or fifteen seconds after that moment of realization. When it did vanish, and she lay on the ground gasping, she noticed Maeve had knelt down next to her, eyes gleaming with an almost orgasmic pleasure at her pain and discomfort, and felt a chill that had nothing to do with the proximity of Winter.

For all that she was currently being helpful, this was the girl that the Summer Queen - incapable of speaking anything but the truth - had called a sadist. The sooner she could wrap this up and send her on her way, the better.

"Had I not pledged to behave as a proper guest," Maeve said quietly, eyes still too bright, "did I not have some inkling of what my aunt would do to me, I could kill you, cousin. I could simply _will_ you to die. If you seek to disrupt the sacrifice, if you challenge Lilith in the very center of her power, she will be under no such restrictions. None of the lesser vampires who serve her wield such power, but they can and will use what they have to reinforce her own. If necessary, she can also supplement that with strength borrowed from the Deep One itself." She stood up, then pulled Laura to her feet, supporting her until she found her balance.

"Well... I did ask," Laura admitted, working to swallow the fear Maeve had just inspired... because it wasn't her cousin she was afraid of.

It wasn't like she hadn't known the dean was big and bad. Carmilla had said as much in no uncertain terms the very first time they'd discussed such matters. She just hadn't gotten what that meant in practical terms.

Little wonder her mother was so against the idea of Laura taking the dean on in a fight.

"Indeed. So, what would you like to ask me about next?"

"The Blade of Hastur."

Maeve's eyes sparkled, which she was coming to realize was a bad sign. "Ooo, you _do_ plan on making this messy, don't you? I think I could get to like you."

Yeeeeaaaahhh... She wasn't touching that one. "Will it do what I need it to do?"

"That would depend on what you believe you need it to do," Maeve replied. "It could easily destroy the Light. Or it could shatter the circle that the sacrifices are trapped within. Or you could use it to fight and kill Lilith, even with your... deficiencies."

All of which made it sound like exactly what they needed. But she'd been paying close attention to everything Maeve said, to better try and avoid typical faerie word games, and she hadn't missed the constant use of 'or' without a single 'and'. She held up a hand. "To clarify, why would I only be able to do _one_ of those things?"

"Oh, you could easily do all of them, provided you have enough willing volunteers." Maeve looked at her carefully, then a slow, cruel smile spread across her face. "Oh, my... You don't _know_ , do you?"

"Know what?"

"Why the Cult of Hastur buried the thing where no one could get their hands on it, of course. It's a sword that kills anyone who uses it."

" _What?!_ "

"Power comes with a price, Laura. That is the Blade's. But then, I'm sure there are enough in that Summer Society of yours who would gladly lay down their life for you, if you only asked them to."

It was frightening that she was probably right. Worse, however, was the connection that finally sparked to life in her mind. "Mom wants Carmilla to do it," she murmured, feeling numb.

Maeve looked positively delighted by that piece of information. "My, my. I haven't seen her in so long, it's easy to forget how _ruthless_ Auntie Titania can be in protecting her own."

"But if smashing the Light wouldn't kill the creature, would it really _kill_ Carmilla?" Not that she wanted to find out, but she needed to be able to say to Carm _exactly_ why they might have to scrap their best plan.

"What you chose to do with the power of the Blade is up to you, but the price you pay will be the same. It is not a weapon meant for mortals to use."

Great. Back to square one. Or... maybe not. "One final point of clarification," she said as something occurred to her. "Would it kill you if you weren't actually _holding_ it when it struck whatever it was being used on?"

"Hmm, creative. I don't know for certain, as no one's ever attempted to use it in such a fashion - sword throwing isn't exactly something used often in combat, and it would also create the risk of someone else picking the Blade up before you or your lover could get to it. In theory, though, it is a distinct possibility."

Okay, two questions to go. Or one, she supposed, as asking about Carmilla's safety didn't really have anything to do with her first question. "How do we get through whatever protections are in place on the sword?"

"It's a standard three-tiered protection spell. Distract or kill the guardian creature, use a cleansing talisman on the outer layer, and ground out the charge within the inner layer. Shouldn't take more than twenty minutes from start to finish."

"If it's that easy, I doubt it would still be there."

"You would be surprised how few people actually know about the Blade at all, and of those that do, fewer still are insane enough to want to use it. And being insane, they have neither the knowledge or ability to defeat the protections."

Maeve evidently thought she was insane. Given her inhuman morality, that made a kind of sense.

"Last topic," Maeve warned. "Make it a good one."

"Do you know who hid me from my mother?"

"No." If she had any suspicions, she didn't volunteer them, to Laura's utter lack of shock.

"Okay, then. Tell me about the Mantle of the Summer Princess."

There was that smile again. Maeve looked at her expectantly.

"Why is everyone so convinced that accepting that would let me defeat the dean? Especially given the restrictions that Mom is obviously under when it comes to her."

"Because of what you would gain with it."

Laura eyed her.

Maeve sighed, and explained, "A supernatural being with a mantle may be thought of as like a governmental office. Only one person can hold the position at a time, but many people can hold it in succession, and each occupant of the office is delegated the same authority. The mantle of the Princess, however, is more than just a badge of office. It is _power_ , and the knowledge that comes with it. Were you to become Summer Princess, the magical knowledge and skill of your fallen sisters would be yours."

"I'd get their _memories_?" That sounded... kind of creepy, really. The rest sounded too good to be true.

"Not as such, no. And it would still take time to learn how to properly integrate their knowledge into your own specific way of thinking." Here, Laura remembered her first lesson with Danny, and being told how no two people thought exactly the same. It only made sense, to her, that adapting such inherited knowledge would take some effort on her part, which was actually something of a relief. She didn't quite trust marvelously convenient solutions. "Still, even the most basic skills you would gain would be enough to help level the playing field. The earlier you did so, the more time to adapt you would have before the sacrifice."

All of which sounded really good. Which meant there had to be a _colossal_ catch. "How are mantles transferred?"

"Several ways. One, of course, being death."

"Of course," Laura said with a sigh.

"When the bearer of a mantle dies, the mantle automatically travels to the nearest suitable vessel. Had Josie been present when her sister died, the mantle would have jumped to her."

"I thought one had to accept the mantle of Princess voluntarily," she objected. Her mother had specifically said as much.

" _You_ would. As I said, _had_ Josie been present, it would have jumped to her. Whether she accepted it and became the new Princess or not... Well, either way, that didn't happen. Had she truly rejected it, though, it would have returned to the Queen once she was close enough. She would have needed to reject it on every possible level for that to happen, though. As the Queen does have it, she can bestow it upon you if she so chooses. Some mantles, such as Royal Protector, require a certain level of... intimacy." She licked her lips, and Laura didn't especially want to know who or what she was thinking about. "Not so with this. You are her daughter; that is all that would be required."

So, if she ever asked for it, all the knowledge and power she could possibly need to defeat the dean would be handed to her on a silver platter. Seriously, this must have been a _**colossal**_ catch. "Why would I not want to do this?" she wondered aloud.

Maeve smiled like she'd finally asked a _good_ question, and her stomach sank. It sank further when she leaned close and whispered, "Because the Summer Princess doesn't get to live among the mortals."

"Wh-what?"

"The title of Princess was created for a reason. There are duties to perform, functions to carry out. Duties and responsibilities largely _in Faerie_. We are the ones who usually deal with matters in the mortal realm, true, but those are only visits. If you became the Princess, your life would no longer be your own. I somewhat liked Hazel, but after her death... As you know, the Courts must remain in balance. When she died, and her sister soon followed, her duties were taken up by others within Summer. As such, the same _had_ to happen in Winter. For over a century, I've been _free_ of it. As much as I might think you could be a worthy Summer Princess, I sincerely hope you do not accept the mantle."

"You couldn't have both, I take it?"

"No. While it is possible to hold more than one mantle at a time - though even in those cases, only one can be _used_ at a time - Summer and Winter would react... violently, to each other, were they contained within a single vessel."

Great. So she could risk using a sword that killed whoever used it (which her mother thought her girlfriend should use, and they _were_ going to be talking about that), or she could accept a mantle that would let her win without that, but would mean dooming herself to an eternity with only occasional visits to sustain her. Talk about a lose-lose situation. "I don't see anyone around to protect you," she noted, struggling to remain focused on her immediate situation until Maeve was gone.

"Oh, she's... chilling, I believe the humans would say?" She giggled, as if at some private joke.

Laura did _not_ want to know what it was. "So, the whole Royal Protector thing...?"

Maeve looked at her for a long moment, then visibly decided that yeah, that did kind of fall under the category of clarifying her answer to Laura's question. "Our power isn't as limited as the Queen's when it comes to matters not directly affecting our Court, but there _are_ limits. Moreover, as you yourself proved, iron and steel are to be found in abundance in this world, particularly as weapons. As such, we are required to have a human Protector when we travel to the human world."

"Iron isn't a problem for me." Which she'd _also_ just proved, hadn't she?

"You may not yet have chosen to fully embrace your sidhe heritage, but the Princess is _not_ a mortal."

Wonderful. Like she didn't have enough reasons to turn this down. Hell, she hadn't even known she _could_ evidently choose to be fully fae without the mantle's influence. One more thing to ask her mother about later, she supposed. Rejecting her humanity, though...

She wasn't sure she could do that. "Well, if a Princess can stomp on the dean the way you're suggesting, I don't suppose you'd want to help me...?"

That earned her a somewhat wistful smile. "Now, you know full well that wouldn't be allowed. Shame, really. I do love a good fight, and I would happily tear out that woman's spleen and feed it to her for her transgression."

Laura blinked, opened her mouth to ask just what the dean might have done to irritate _Maeve_ , caught herself, and closed it again. She had no idea how old Maeve was, but she was pretty sure she was old enough to have a _significant_ amount of history. God only knew how many enemies she'd amassed, over the years. Or centuries. And that was only Maeve. As for the dean... "She's not very good at making friends, is she?"

"No. She prefers being feared to being loved. Something I can understand. She considers herself above the need for allies... which shows age does not always bring wisdom. Now, I believe I have fulfilled my part of the bargain," Maeve informed her politely.

She supposed that was true. Without a word, she reached into her bag and withdrew the jewelry case, tossing it to Maeve.

She opened it, removed the necklace, and let the empty case fall to the ground as she slipped it on, the pendant resting just above her heart. She gave a satisfied sigh, obviously happy to have it back in her possession, and inclined her head. "A pleasure doing business with you," she remarked pleasantly. "Feel free to call upon me again, should you need anything else. My rates can be very reasonable." With that, she simply vanished, and the world abruptly jerked back into motion.

Laura picked up the empty case out of sheer habit, closing it and shoving it back into her bag before resuming her trek to her Journalism class.

If nothing else, she was _much_ more awake, now.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** Since neither I nor Silas Confidential ever bothered describing Mary, I suppose I should at least mention the person the author 'cast' as Mary, Camila Cabello. (Rose does not seem to have an 'actress'.)

* * *

Growing up in a small town where everyone knew everyone else and nothing really happened made it simultaneously easier and much harder to find anything out. On the one hand, since it was so boring, people tended to talk. Gossip was one of the few things some people had to entertain themselves with, and nothing was sacred in that respect. As a result, even as a child, Laura had been able to find things out with almost no effort, simply by knowing who to be standing near at certain times of the day. She'd learned a lot that way - some things she didn't especially _want_ to know - despite her father's efforts to restrict her informational intake. (Internet filters, parental controls on her computer and the TV, monitoring her shopping... He'd let up on that eventually, if only to stop people from gossiping about _him_... and now she had a much better idea **why** he might have wanted to avoid attracting attention.)

On the other hand, mindless gossip didn't hold much appeal for her. Oh, sure, every now and then she'd find a nugget of genuinely interesting information among the detritus, which was the only reason she kept at it - that patience (or stubbornness, depending on one's point of view) and meticulous sorting of data unknowingly forging the building blocks for her future research skills - but the fact that it _was_ a small town meant that people were _aware_ that it was basically a "six degrees of separation" sort of situation, and that if they weren't careful, someone they _really_ didn't want finding something out would learn it very quickly. That meant that, if she wanted to find out anything _interesting_ , she had to put some real effort into it - something she was entirely willing to do. Making sure her father didn't find out what she was doing and put a stop to it... That had been the trick. She'd gotten to be pretty good at both.

She'd developed a passion for investigative journalism before she'd even known what the name for it was. (Even though she kept most of what she learned to herself.) Her school newspaper had _loved_ her.

As such, there had never been any real question about what she'd be majoring in at college. When her guidance counselor had been selling her on why a school in remote Austria of all places was the best fit for her, she'd made specific note of the journalism program. Laura would learn more from their Journalism professor, she'd stated, than from any other such teacher. Even with everything else going on, Laura couldn't deny that was true. And knowing what she now did about Silas, the idea that she might actually have the _real_ Nellie Bly herself as a professor...

It just made her feel kind of giddy.

When she entered the classroom, she couldn't help but notice a lot of the lecture seats were empty. A quick check confirmed she'd actually gotten there a few minutes early, but still, she remembered there being far more people there the last time she'd shown up for class. Though given how many classes _she'd_ skipped - and she made a mental note to apologize for that - she knew she didn't really have any ground to criticize anyone else for not being there. Given that it was nearing the end of term, the sparse turnout wasn't _too_ surprising. Most of the students had probably just popped in to hand in their final journalism paper and fled. Or, if they were doing video projects like she was, they might have just posted it online and emailed the professor the link to it.

Why they'd turn down any chance to learn from Elizabeth "Nellie Bly" Cochrane unless they absolutely _had_ to, she simply couldn't understand. (And frankly, she thought, if they didn't know who their teacher really was, they weren't very good investigative journalists.) _She_ wouldn't have missed any classes had she not been in the middle of a constant stream of world-shaking revelations.

At the front of the room, Professor Cochrane was standing behind the lectern, her glasses on the tip of her pinched nose, reading over a stack of papers. Reining in her fangirl tendencies, as she'd done before walking into the room prior to every class since she'd learned the truth, she walked in and took a better look around, quickly spotting Mary heading her way. "We need to talk," her neighbor told her quietly once she was close enough.

With so few students present, finding an unoccupied corner of the room wasn't a challenge. As quickly (yet thoroughly) as she could, Mary brought Laura up to speed on recent developments. "I don't get it," Laura muttered once she was finished. "If this Gary is the same guy Will was complaining to Carmilla about that one time, he wants to be a Zeta, and they're not terribly loyal to the dean. I mean, Will is, yeah, but it's not like he has any authority over them, or anything."

"True..." Mary frowned in contemplation. "He might not realize that, I suppose. On the other hand, based on his aura, he's more interested in the power and prestige that would come with being a Zeta than the actual fraternity, and he thinks Will can get it for him. Which I suppose he could, if he actually felt like it."

"Too bad for him even Will wants nothing to do with him." Laura shook her head. "He sounds like a thug looking for the right person to boss him around; pretty much a non-threat. Cassandra, though... She could be a problem."

"I wouldn't trust her," Mary agreed. "Not with an aura like that. I don't know why the dean does. If she can see your videos..." She paused, thinking. "Maybe you should explain exactly what the veil does to the dean, see what happens?"

Laura blinked at her, then smiled slowly. "Ooo, that's devious," she complimented.

"Thank you."

If she was going to do that, though, she needed to make sure she could do so unobserved. She was pretty sure she knew enough about veils - the actual, rendering you invisible kind, not what she and Mel had done to her videos - to pull it off, but she made a mental note to discuss the matter with Carmilla later, before she did anything. Their senses should be about equal, as she understood it, so if she could hide herself from Carm, the dean wouldn't know she was there, either.

"Well, nice of you to show up for a change, Hollis."

Laura tried not to wince, with mixed success. She supposed she'd deserved that. She also decided that she needed to be more observant herself, if Professor Cochrane could walk right up to them without her noticing it, especially when they were discussing somewhat sensitive topics. She didn't think the dean had any spies in the class, but she didn't know that for certain.

Especially given that 'Nellie Bly' had died in 1922.

"Good morning, Professor Cochrane." There was one way she could check and see if the professor was being influenced or controlled in any way, she thought, remembering the conversation she'd had with Gail about Circles just prior to the Giant Mushroom Incident. "I'm sorry I've been absent so frequently, though if you've been keeping up with my project, you know why."

"I have." That was it. No evident sympathy, no allowances made, no criticizing. Apparently, she was withholding judgement until she had the end result of the investigation at hand. Laura appreciated that. It'd be easy for the dean to get her to use those absences against her, kicking her out of the school or, worse, starting one of those Tribunal things LaFontaine had mentioned once or twice.

On the other hand, if Professor Cochrane was being controlled, this was a perfect way for the dean to stay informed about what Laura did and didn't know.

She got up, stretched, and shot a look at Mary that said 'Distract her.' Then, as unobtrusively as she could manage, started walking in a circle, clockwise, as if just to stretch her legs.

Mary hadn't been there for it, but she'd seen the video, and guessed that Laura was walking her circle deosil, though she had no idea why. Presumably, once she was done, she would explain, or the reason would at least be somewhat evident. In the meantime, she clearly didn't want Professor Cochrane asking questions - or worse, moving - before she finished, so Mary did the only thing she could think of: ask questions of her own. "So, you've been at this school for a while, right, Professor?"

"Yes." No details as to how long, and she was still watching Laura out of the corner of her eye.

Okay, she needed to try harder. "So, how long did it take for you to learn about the vampires in charge of the school?"

_That_ caught her attention. "Excuse me?" she asked coolly.

Laura was on her second circuit. "I've been keeping up with Laura's videos, too," she said, then pressed on before that could draw the professor's attention back to her orbiting classmate. "I know about the dean, and the sacrifices. I doubt they could have hid that from _you_." Laura wasn't the only one who'd recognized their teacher, after all.

Professor Cochrane was silent for a long moment. "That isn't something you should be getting involved in, Ringwold." She always called everyone by their surname, presumably to be professional. (Or, after teaching at Silas for so long, she knew better than to get attached to her students.) Personally, it just made Mary feel like a statistic to her.

"I'm surprised to hear _you_ of all people say something like that, Ma'am."

"There's a difference between taking chances to uncover the truth, and being suicidally reckless," she said sternly, which was true enough. "And if you're quite finished, Hollis?" Mary winced.

"Almost." She was halfway through her third tracing of the circle, and Mary could feel the energy of it rising, like she was standing near high tension power lines and someone was cranking up the voltage. When Laura completed her third pass, the circle snapped into place, making Mary feel like her exposed skin had dried into leather, tightening over her bones.

And making Professor Cochrane stagger and brace herself against one of the closest chair's armrests.

"Dammit, I was afraid of that," Laura muttered, stepping closer in case she needed any support. She hadn't given any details - at Laura's request - but one of the uses of a Circle Gail had listed was cutting off the flow of magic from its source, such as from a necromancer to the zombie he or she was controlling. Because their professor was undeniably Elizabeth Cochrane.

And Elizabeth Cochrane was just as undeniably dead.

Professor Cochrane wasn't a vampire; Laura had been fairly certain of that even before she'd raised the circle. Vampires tended to look exactly as they had when they'd died. Nellie Bly had been 57 when she'd died - and looked it - while their professor looked far more like most pictures Laura had seen of Nellie Bly, which tended to show her in her prime. She was also...

Well, not to put too fine a point on it, but, unlike Carmilla, she also _looked_ like she was dead. It was why most students didn't get too close to her unless they had to - that, and her sharp tongue made it clear she could (metaphorically) bite their heads off if provoked. Professor Cochrane smelled like mothballs and, well, death. Her skin was gray and flaky. And with the circle blocking out the magic that had evidently been obscuring it, she could now sense the _wrongness_ about her. Much as they had that first night at the Summer Society, her instincts took over, and before she knew what she was doing, she rested a hand on Professor Cochrane's arm. There was a blinding flash of green and gold light that attracted some attention even from the few bored or distracted students present, and when she could see clearly again, she flinched and withdrew her hand.

What she'd done... It hadn't even been all that hard. Now that she knew what to look for, she could tell that she had used up a fair bit of her power, but it was a comparative drop in the bucket, barely noticeable, and replenished almost immediately. Professor Cochrane, on the other hand, looked considerably different, skin pink and unblemished, hair shinier, eyes far more full of life than they had been a second ago. So was the rest of her. "It really never ends," Laura murmured, struggling to wrap her mind around this new development. "Every time I think I've got a handle on things, some _bizarre_ new ability pops up and reminds me what a freak of nature I really am."

Mary, not knowing Laura well enough to successfully argue against that, instead asked, "Ah, Professor? Are you okay?"

"I... believe so, yes." She, too, looked shaken, flexing her hands and staring down at them like she'd never seen them before. Or, perhaps, like she wasn't used to them feeling warm, anymore. Laura shook herself out of her self-pity long enough to take a good, hard look at the resurrected professor, and paused.

It was just as well she hadn't pulled this trick until after she had a steady girlfriend, she decided somewhere in the back of her mind. Crushing on her Lit TA had been bad enough, but Danny was at least also a student. Nursing a huge crush on one of her professors would just _not_ have ended well. Because Professor Cochrane was _definitely_ attractive, in a kind of old-school sort of way. She'd lived from the late nineteenth century into the early twentieth, and still tended to dress like it. She wore long dresses with stiff collars, and black shoes that looked like they pinched her tiny feet. She always wore her hair up in a bun, held in place with an antique looking hair comb. Mary had commented once that her grandmother wore something similar. Evidently, not every undead person kept up with the latest fashion trends. (It made her wonder what Rose would choose to wear, had she had a physical body.) Take away the zombie aesthetic, and... yeah. If she stuck around, and maybe loosened up with her wardrobe a bit, she'd have students _drooling_ over her.

"How did you _do_ that?" Mary asked. She couldn't quite help it. Even knowing Laura wasn't reacting overly well to what she'd done, she couldn't stop the question from coming out.

"I..." Laura trailed off and shrugged helplessly.

"Queen Titania is the Lady of Light and Life," Professor Cochrane reminded them evenly. She seemed to have adapted to her new circumstances with remarkable speed. Little wonder she'd been so very good as an investigative reporter, back in her day. "As her daughter, you would naturally also hold sway over them."

"Yeah, I... I guess." Laura shook her head, fishing a flashdrive out of her pocket. "I suppose I can give this to you safely, now. It has all the stuff I thought was a bit too sensitive to post online on it."

"I'm glad to see you're taking some precautions, at least," she said, accepting it. "I don't recall informing anyone of what I saw in any of your videos, though it may be possible they were able to take information directly from my mind." She paused, then added, "Thank you. I realize you may be having difficulty accepting what you've just done, but I do very much appreciate it." Another pause. "However, do not think I will let this influence your grade in this class."

Despite everything, Laura had to smile. There was the Professor Cochrane that she remembered. "Never thought it would," she replied honestly. "Though, I think it could count as part of my project, just in person rather than on video." The professor accepted that with a nod. Laura was silent for a moment, considering her, then asked, "So, since I've got you here - and you're unquestionably you, now - could you maybe give me some advice? This whole situation is a bit... bigger... than just my final project." She went on to explain what Mary had told her, as well as the highlights of her conversation with Maeve. "I mean, I know I'm technically supposed to be _reporting_ on the story, not _part_ of it, but I can't let people die just so I can get a better grade, and there's no one else. But I don't have any good options. We use the sword, and Carmilla might die... or I take the mantle, and completely lose who I am."

Professor Cochrane looked contemplative, which hopefully was a good sign. "Before you do anything else, you might want to discover Cassandra's true loyalties. From what I understand of the fae, the more you can place Dean Morgan in your debt, the more power you'll have over her. Gain enough influence, and it may well open up new options. That she took one of the Summer Society has already created an imbalance. I don't have the details of the treaty between her and the Summer Court, but I would find it difficult to believe that sort of thing is really allowed."

Which was a good point, Laura thought. Why hadn't anybody mentioned that sooner? Because only an official representative of Summer could do anything about it? She'd have to ask.

"Also," she continued, "as we've established, your mother is the Lady of Light and Life. You've proven that your share that, if perhaps to a lesser degree. Given that you're trying to locate the Deep One's Light, you might want to embrace the other half of that, as well."

"I didn't even think of trying that," she murmured. Not that she had any idea how. Her nature had instinctively reacted to correct the wrongness she'd sensed in Professor Cochrane, but that didn't mean she knew how she'd done it. Likewise, she wouldn't know how to begin sensing any kind of eldritch Light. "Well, guess I know what tomorrow's lesson might be." She was never going to be ready in time if she kept jumping between subjects like this, she knew, but sensing something seemed much easier to learn than creating wormholes through Faerie (or whatever the official name for that trick was), so shouldn't take very long at all to learn. "First, though, I need to talk to Carmilla about how best to approach the dean about this." She paused. "Are, um, you going to be okay? I've never, ah..." She gestured vaguely toward the professor.

"Quite. I'm looking forward to seeing your completed report, Miss Hollis. Good hunting."

Okay, so maybe she had a _tiny_ crush on Professor Cochrane, anyway. She'd get over it shortly, she knew.

If nothing else, watching Carmilla wake up should blast thoughts of anyone else out of her head.

* * *

The bad news was that Carmilla was already awake when she got back to their dorm room.

The worse news was that they had a guest: the dean of students herself.

In retrospect, maybe she should have used her Clockstoppers-style ability to poke her head into the room and check it first, rather than just opening the door and walking in. Next time, she decided.

Provided she _had_ a next time.

The dean couldn't just kill her, though, she reminded herself as she worked to get her legs to move again, rather than just remaining frozen in fear. She was hardly disrupting the sacrifice by walking into her own dorm room, so that meant that Dean Morgan had to keep her hands - and fangs - to herself.

Carmilla wasn't under any such protection, though.

No one was moving. Or speaking. Really, she was pretty sure she was the only one breathing, and that was only because she was deliberately forcing herself to keep taking air into her lungs, not wanting to pass out in front of the dean. The silence stretched on. And on. Finally, the dean spoke up, making her jump a little. (She felt a little better seeing that Carmilla did, too.) "Miss Hollis," she remarked coolly.

"Dean Morgan," she replied. When had her throat gotten so dry? "Is there something we can do for you?"

Her eyes narrowed. Likely, Laura thought belatedly, at her choice of phrasing. As old as she was, the dean must have known the dangers that came from asking things of the fae. She was just a changeling, though, so that sort of connection wouldn't happen automatically, and she'd displayed no sign - in person or on video - of knowing how to make it happen deliberately.

There'd been no real way of filming that, after all, so she hadn't bothered trying. She was doubly glad of that decision now.

"No," the dean said finally, to her disappointment. To Carmilla, she said, "Remember what I've told you, Mircalla."

"I will," Carmilla said stiffly, posture radiating tension. That just made Laura want to shoo the dean out, even though she knew she should be trying to work on making some kind of bargain or something with her, finding some way of getting the woman in her debt. She needed every bit of an edge she could get, after all.

"Good." She marched toward the door, pausing only when Laura didn't move to get out of her way. "Kindly step aside, Miss Hollis," she said out loud, her glare silently adding, 'before I dismember you and step over the pieces'.

Laura swallowed hard, trying to get some moisture back into her throat, and managed to keep her voice more or less steady as she asked, "Are you sure you wouldn't want to answer a few questions, on camera? Since you're here, I mean?"

The dean flashed her a small smile that didn't get anywhere near her eyes. "Ah, yes. Your videos. I've been hearing about those."

"It's my journalism project." Which meant the dean couldn't just order her to yank them down. As long as she only _reported_ on things, after all, she wasn't breaking any rules. (Threat of a 'security response' seemed to have stopped completely once it had become known who her mother was, which hadn't quite escaped her notice. She didn't know how far she could push that, but actual schoolwork was allowed, she was fairly certain.)

"I know. I found some of them quite... entertaining." No doubt, the woman had enjoyed her initial frustration regarding Betty's disappearance, and having to deal with Carmilla. "Restricting who can view them by species? I expected better of the Summer Queen's daughter."

Implying that Titania's daughter was in any way prejudiced _probably_ wouldn't cause any harm, but Laura didn't like the thought of anyone thinking less of her mother, especially because of something that wasn't true. Respect was important in the supernatural world, she knew, though she wasn't sure how far that sort of thing went.

Good thing it didn't matter. "Oh, I didn't," she replied, managing to summon up a pleasant smile. "I restricted it by _allegiance_."

She had to give the dean credit: she didn't miss much. Judging by the slight narrowing of her eyes, she understood exactly what Laura was telling her... and what Laura had just _done_ : She'd just handed over valuable information, without asking for anything in return. Hopefully, she'd just conclude that the inexperienced Laura, torn between fear and anger at her words, simply hadn't thought about it.

Laura stood aside, not saying otherwise. Instead, she merely asked, "So, is that a 'no' to the interview?"

The dean gave her a cold glare, leaving without a word.

Laura let her go, then closed the door and stepped over to where Carmilla was still stiffly standing and grabbed onto her arm... and sped the two of them up until time seemed to be standing still. She was getting pretty good at doing that, she noted. "Okay, we should be able to talk safely, now," she decided. "Are you-?"

Carmilla cut her off by yanking her into a crushing bear hug, making the breath wheeze out of her and threatening to crack a few ribs. "I will be so glad when I don't have to deal with that woman anymore," she murmured into Laura's ear.

" _Ghlrrk_ ," Laura agreed. Catching the hint, Carmilla loosened her grip, only refraining from letting go because Laura started sagging toward the floor at first, until she got her body back under control. Once she was stable, she gave Carmilla a kiss that went on for almost an entire minute longer than she'd planned. Though, given that time was effectively stopped for the two of them, that wasn't any kind of problem. "So, like I was saying," she said once the kiss had broken off - and she'd caught her breath from _that_ , too. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Despite her words, Carmilla made no move to let go of her, and Laura didn't push her away. "She just stopped by for a little chat. She knew what we were planning, about the Blade of Hastur. She said that..."

"That it'll kill anyone who uses it?" Laura guessed. At Carmilla's surprised look, she added, "I just had a little question and answer session with my Winter cousin. That came up. Though, she couldn't tell me what would happen if you _threw_ the sword, rather than held onto it while hitting something with it, since nobody seems to have ever tried that. So we'll have to do a bit more research into the sword to see if there's any salvaging that plan. Because if that won't work, you're not using it, and I'm not about to order anyone from the Summer Society to sacrifice themselves just so someone else can."

"That's the only plan we've got, though, and the end of term is getting closer," Carmilla reminded her. Whether Carm really cared about these five girls (well, four, so far), she didn't know, but she knew that Laura did, which was obviously enough. "You've made it clear you can't beat her on your own."

"Not as I am, no," Laura agreed. She hesitated, then added, "The Summer Princess could, I guess, but... Well, I wouldn't exactly be _me_ afterward, would I?" She shook her head. "We can talk about this later. Right now, we have to follow your mom. I'm pretty sure she's about to go confront Cassandra about her true loyalties, and that's a conversation I need to hear."

" _She_ was watching the videos?"

"Yeah. So I guess it's a good thing I'm still posting them, after all, or we wouldn't have gotten this opening." Carmilla grumbled something likely uncomplimentary, and she just smirked.

"There's something else," Carmilla said, finally letting go and stepping away.

"Oh?"

She gestured to the floor, where Laura saw what looked like the ground up remains of... "JP?"

"Mother... decided to make sure he didn't get away from her again. She hates leaving loose ends."

Laura absently waved a hand over the mess of tiny pieces, and they leapt up into her hand, reforming the flashdrive. "She's gonna be mad, then."

Carmilla looked somewhat dubious. "Laura, I know you're powerful, but I don't think you can just poof someone back to life."

"Remind me to tell you about my Journalism class later," she remarked, somewhat amused. "As it happens, though, she never killed him in the first place." She held up the flashdrive. Or, rather, the object that _looked_ like a flashdrive. "You can't fit something the size of a human consciousness on a dinky little flashdrive," she told Carmilla. "So I didn't even try. All this does is establish a link between whatever computer its plugged into and the Library's mainframe. But I have no problem letting her _think_ she's killed JP."

They did, after all, need _every_ advantage they could get.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

It took a fair bit of trial and error to work out a veil that would block out sight, sound, _and_ smell, but that gave them something to do while the dean ordered Cassandra to her office. Until Laura slowed the two of them back to normal, every second that went by for the rest of the world was an hour or so for them.

It was just as well. Veils weren't something she'd officially studied with Kheelan, so she'd needed the practice.

Once Carmilla agreed that she'd managed to work out a veil that would hide them from the dean - provided they didn't give the woman cause to search them out, as no such magic was infallible - and time was again flowing by at its normal speed, the two set out for the dean's office, Laura holding onto Carmilla's hand tightly. That was the only way she knew to make sure Carmilla stayed invisible, too, but she also just wanted to. Carm hardly objected.

Aside from that time she and LaFontaine had crashed the Faculty Club shortly before things had gotten _really_ crazy, Laura had never really been in the administration building. At first glance, it looked much like it was just that: a building that housed the offices of the dean of students (there was no separate dean of the college, or a president of the university, as there would be in larger schools), the registrar, residential life and housing, human resources (knowing what she now did, that one just made her nervous), etc. That was deliberate, of course - her father would never had left her there had he picked up on any hint of Silas' true nature, and he likely wasn't alone in that - though she supposed that since it _was_ an actual university, however comparatively small, they _did_ have administrative work to get done, and apparently even supernatural office buildings were still office buildings. Still, after adjusting to the weird that was Silas, this pocket of relative normality was almost jarring.

The dean's office, however...

It wasn't that it didn't look like a normal office. It did: a sleek but heavy-looking wooden desk (mahogany or oak, maybe; she didn't know enough about furniture to tell) covered in paperwork and a decorative statue, light tan leather chairs, filing cabinets, dark red carpeting covering the floor. It was only upon closer inspection that one started piercing that illusion. There were one or two spots on the carpet that were a bit darker than the rest, indicating that the dean had likely chosen that color to better hide any bloodstains (at least until it could be properly cleaned, making Laura wonder how recently those had to have been made). The leather on the chairs didn't seem like it had come from a cow; the texture was wrong, and the coloring wasn't all that far off from her own skin. The statue on the desk - there was no computer in sight, indicating the dean didn't use one - was of Ishtar, who Carmilla quietly told her was the East Semitic Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She was also the counterpart to Inanna, the Sumerian goddess of love, fertility, and warfare, which, given the Sumerian text they'd acquired for information on Lophiiformes, was a bit more significant. The dean, Carmilla added, had more statues of the two of them than anyone - or anything - else, and peering closely at it...

All Laura could think of was Maeve's comment that the dean was not what she once was.

Which was ridiculous. Lilita Morgan was a _vampire_. A flesh and blood, powerful and unaging but otherwise _**mortal**_ vampire. Still, if that was the time or place she'd originally lived...

Laura resolved to research the matter further.

Later.

Right now, she had other matters to focus on.

They had gotten to the dean's office not long after she had, but before Cassandra showed up, flanked by a pair of vampires. As much as Carmilla would have preferred they listen to the upcoming conversation from the other side of the door, her mother had secured the office against eavesdropping, so they wound up pressed into a far corner, staying quiet so as not to miss anything. Cassandra herself clearly didn't realize anything was amiss, merely entering and sitting across the dean's desk from her, as she usually would. "You wanted to see me?"

Carmilla almost felt sorry for the woman. Almost.

Dean Morgan regarded her impassively. She may have preferred chess to card games, but she still had the best poker face of anyone Carmilla had ever seen; even _she_ didn't know what her mother was thinking just then. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Cassandra?" she finally asked, her gaze unwavering.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "About?"

"The magic blocking young Miss Hollis's videos from the sight of me and mine."

Perhaps remembering Gary pestering her about that very subject earlier, Cassandra stifled a sigh. "As I've told you, I can't undo magic of that level, ma'am."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

Cassandra waited, but she didn't continue. "May I ask what you _are_ talking about, then?"

"Why, exactly, you can see them, when no one else can."

She blinked, the very picture of innocent confusion. "Because I'm not a vampire, ma'am?"

"Except that has nothing to do with it, does it? I've spoken with Miss Hollis, Cassandra. I know what the restriction she placed upon them is. So, once again, why is it you can see them?"

She froze. It was only for a moment, but that single instant was **very** telling to everyone who knew what Laura had done. "She's not fully fae, ma'am. She could easily have lied to you." Her mask of innocence was back in place, but she wasn't fooling anyone, anymore.

"Except that by telling me the truth, she was giving me knowledge - and thus, power. And she knew it." The dean's expression finally changed, letting some of her annoyance slip. "I despise faeries and their little games at the best of times, Cassandra. Owing anything to one of them, especially the changeling daughter of the Summer Queen, is vastly irritating. Regardless, she _did_ tell me, so I _do_ know. So now, _you_ will tell me what I want to know: With whom do your loyalties lie?"

"I don't know what you mean, ma'am," Cassandra said, slowly getting to her feet. Her two 'escorts' were between her and the door, but not directly behind her. Still, she was obviously aware of them. Laura could sense the arcane energy she was drawing up to raise a shield around her. "All I've ever done here is help you. The Hollis girl wouldn't even know how to go about putting you in her debt, in any event."

"Given her revival of Professor Cochrane, I cannot help but doubt that." While practicing her veils, Laura had explained to Carmilla about what had happened during her Journalism class. The dean had been either unable or unwilling to raise the woman as a vampire - they didn't know when the dean had come across her and decided she'd be perfect for Silas, and while Carmilla knew there were potentially multiple methods of turning someone into a vampire (blood transference being the only one she knew how to do, though even that was something she'd never actually done herself), she was pretty sure they all had to be enacted not long before or after death, or the window of opportunity would close - and as such had been forced to use necromancy to raise her as a zombie, essentially trapping her spirit within a shell of dead flesh. (Knowing what she did of 'Nellie Bly' Cochrane - Laura had gushed on about her once or twice over the course of the semester - Carmilla had to admit, she never would have gone along with much of _anything_ her mother was doing at Silas; likely another reason necromancy had been the route she'd gone with.) When Laura severed her connection to the professor with the circle, then injected new life into the corpse, she would have known immediately, and it wouldn't have been hard at all to get details. Unlike zombies, vampires were alive - or undead, but that was still a _kind_ of life - so the dean was obviously unconcerned about Laura pulling the same trick on her and robbing her of her power. Still, it was one of the more faerie princess-like things Laura had done yet, which _also_ hadn't escaped the dean's notice.

Clearly, though, it _had_ escaped Cassandra's. "Her revival of...?"

"Yes. Now, enough stalling." Without warning, an invisible force smashed Cassandra backward to the floor, pinning her there. "Tell me to whom you are truly loyal."

"So that's what that looks like from the outside," Laura muttered.

"I know," Carmilla agreed quietly. "Seems like it should be more than that, somehow, doesn't it?"

Laura paused, then slowly turned to stare at Carmilla. Cassandra was still struggling futilely against the invisible collection of anvils holding her down, so she didn't miss anything as she regarded her girlfriend with a growing look of horror. She knew what that felt like because Maeve had shown her, to give her an idea of what she'd be in for in terms of a fight. For Carmilla to know as well...

Carmilla knew exactly what it meant when she saw Laura's face darken with anger, and hurriedly wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's waist before Laura could drop the veil and try to replace the dean's head with a column of fire. As much as she would have loved to see that happen, given her mother's reflexes and defense abilities, as well as the presence of two of her minions... It wouldn't have ended well. "You just keep us invisible," she whispered into Laura's ear. She didn't look happy, but given that none of the hyper-alert predators in the room suddenly spotted them, she was clearly doing it.

Still, Carmilla had to admit, having someone react like that in her defense made her feel warm inside.

"I can make things far more painful than this for you, Cassandra," the dean was saying. "I can, and I will, if you don't tell me what I want to know." She didn't seem to be exerting any particular effort at all to immobilize the seer... who clearly couldn't have been any good if she hadn't seen _this_ coming. Cassandra, on the other hand, put a great deal of effort into drawing in a deep breath.

At which point Laura went rigid and held out a hand to raise a shield in front of her and Carmilla. It was within her veil, so hopefully wouldn't be noticed, but Carmilla didn't see why-

The invisible force holding Cassandra exploded.

Carmilla didn't know how else to describe it. There had been a sound, almost like metal under stress and beginning to fail, then a thunderous crack of sound that punished her sensitive hearing, and a terrible force erupted from where Cassandra had been being held down, throwing a shock wave of raw kinetic energy - the barest shadow of the true forces at work, she was sure, nothing but a by-product - out to smash into everything else in the office. Laura grunted quietly, and would likely have been pushed back a step or two had they not already been up against a wall.

Her mother and the minions, however, were not quite so lucky.

The dean had been thrown into the wall behind her, with her desk following a split second later, crashing into her legs. She looked more angry than injured, and tossed it aside immediately. The minion vamps were younger and less durable, and were having a bit more trouble picking themselves up from where they'd been flung. Cassandra quickly climbed to her feet, somewhat dazed and out of breath, but unbroken and defiant.

And the scent of sulfur and brimstone hung heavy in the air.

That, Carmilla thought, explained Laura's reaction, given the fate of her sister. More than that, though, it also hinted at who Cassandra truly worked for. It wasn't automatically a given, since there were halfbreeds and the like who wanted nothing to do with the 'Hell' dimension one of their parents had come from, as well as those who had immigrated from there... but that she could see Laura's videos, and that the innocent expression on her face had been replaced by one of haughty disdain, both spoke volumes.

"If you truly believe I am not loyal to you," Cassandra said coldly, "then I am not yours to command, or to punish."

"If you intend to claim loyalty to me, why hide your true nature?" the dean countered. Neither mentioned the videos - Cassandra hadn't been truly loyal to her before now, after all, as had already been established.

"You have something of a reputation, you know. Everyone knows you don't play well with others, and those you claim to love or honor... Well, better not to dwell on their fates. We could have helped you, though, despite what you wrought when 'dealing with' the previous Daughter of Summer to attend this university. I never claimed personal loyalty to you. You hired me to do a job, and I did it. I maintained your spells and Circles, I sorted through the girls you intended to sacrifice. I even drained away the spell that had been placed on Miss Perry, before the Summers could use the fact that it had spread to LaFontaine - to keep _them_ from reminding her of what she wanted to forget - to track her down. I could continue doing that job. But I am _not_ at liberty to tell you who I work for."

"How unfortunate." The dean lifted a hand. "For you."

Better braced, and with Hellfire backing her up, Cassandra stayed on her feet, though she was pushed backward, the force of the dean's anger clashing with the invisible shield she'd raised, causing it to give off a hellish red light. When her minions added their own wills to reinforce their mother's - and Carmilla could tell Laura was practically taking notes; this was probably more than she'd ever hoped for, in terms of learning how the dean fought, so she could try and come up with strategies to counter her - it looked like it might be over then and there.

But Cassandra somehow slid aside, letting the force smash the door into tiny splinters - so maybe it was just as well they hadn't tried to overhear what was going on from behind it, Carmilla reflected - and struck back. The smell of brimstone became overpowering as she lashed out with twin bursts of painfully bright fire, lighting both minion vamps up like they were made of dry straw. They thrashed and screamed, and quicker than Carmilla would have believed, they were just smoldering heaps on the floor.

Carmilla couldn't help a nervous gulp. Given the freedom with which her mother's "trusted seer/mage" had moved about, and the number of things she'd assisted the dean's minions - including _her_ \- with over the years... That could easily have been her, if she'd discovered something the woman didn't want the dean to know. She didn't know much about Hellfire, beyond that it was a kind of alternate power source that the denizens of the hellish plane preferred, and that a magic user could _seriously_ turbocharge their spells with it. She didn't know how easily Laura could stand up to it, and sincerely hoped she never had to find out.

"I think you may consider that my resignation," Cassandra informed the dean coolly, straightening up. "I strongly suggest our paths never cross again, Lilith, or it would be my very great pleasure to cast you and all those you claim to love into the Pit." There was a painful flash of light, and when Carmilla could see again, Cassandra was gone.

Her mother, standing in her ruined office, was quietly seething with anger. Laura shifted, as if she wanted to be anywhere else just then - something Carmilla understood - and the dean went still, eyes warily drifting about the room. She pulled out a cell phone and dialed a familiar number. "William, I need a cleaning crew in my office immediately. The door also needs to be replaced. And spread the word that if Cassandra is seen, she is to be killed on sight." She hung up before Will could reply, stepping slowly, cautiously, in their general direction.

She didn't seem to _know_ anyone was there, nevermind exactly where they were, but Laura wasn't at all comforted. Acting purely on instinct, she turned and shoved Carmilla backward, as if trying to tackle her. Given that they were up against a wall, all that should have done was knock the breath out of her and possibly reveal their location to the dean.

Instead, the world twisted and whirled around them to an almost nauseating degree that went on for a subjective eternity, then they crashed painfully down on a plush, soft blue carpet. Laura blinked in confusion for a second or two, but then scraped together the presence of mind to frantically wave her hand in the air behind them, as if closing whatever passage they'd stumbled through.

Which, Carmilla realized, was exactly what she had done. "I thought you didn't know how to do that traveling trick," she commented as they separated from the pile of tangled limbs they'd wound up in, then stood up.

"I don't," Laura replied, eyes wide. After a moment's consideration, she corrected, "Didn't." Another pause. "Don't. That was just pure 'Oh, holy God, let's get out of here!', not me knowing what I was doing."

"Well, either way, it worked." Though, if they didn't get back to Silas soon from... wherever they were, that would create problems of its own. "Think you could figure out how to do it properly, now? Or are we calling your tutor for a ride?"

"Um..." Laura bit her lip. "I think we may need to call him. In a while."

Carmilla raised an eyebrow. "Cupcake?" She hadn't missed the recognition flooding into Laura's expression. "Where are we, anyway?"

"...my bedroom. At home." She'd never really said exactly where she'd lived before coming to Silas, but it almost certainly was far enough away that they wouldn't be getting back to school by anything but magical means anytime soon.

"Really?" Carmilla looked around with renewed interest. As she might have expected, the bedroom was something of a nerd's paradise, all manner of books and posters and DVDs and toys (or action figures, she supposed) from any number of fandoms: Doctor Who, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Star Wars, Buffy, Mystery Science Theater 3000, and more that she didn't recognize. The room itself wasn't large, not much more than a bed, dressers, overflowing bookcases, and a door to the closet. It was decorated in soft, tasteful colors. What she did _not_ see was a TV to watch any of the DVDs on, or a computer desk. There were empty spaces where some things she'd brought to Silas with her had obviously been, but nothing like that. There was what looked like a small, portable DVD player up on a shelf, but... She shot Laura a look.

Laura smiled faintly. "They're downstairs," she said, knowing what Carmilla was silently asking about. "You know, so I wouldn't be able to watch any unapproved programming or sneak around the parental controls and get on any restricted websites. I bought that myself," she said, gesturing to the portable DVD player.

Carmilla shook her head. "You weren't kidding about him," she muttered.

"No. But then, we do know _why_ he was so paranoid now, don't we?"

Carmilla grunted in assent.

Laura frowned thoughtfully. "This... actually works out," she said slowly. "I mean, I kinda wanted to talk to my Dad about... well, things. Also my guidance counseler." The one who'd been so sure Silas was the best fit for her.

"Papa Hollis isn't home now, though, is he?" Carmilla could already tell he wasn't. Not unless he was both the quietest man she'd ever come across and didn't care about the loud thump that had come from his daughter's empty bedroom.

"No. This time of day, he's at work. But that means we can walk down to the school first."

"In a while." At Laura's look of confusion, she added, "Since we're here and all, there _is_ something we really should do, first?"

"There is?"

"Properly christen your bed."

"Huh?"

In response, Carmilla's shirt hit the floor.

"...oh."

* * *

It was almost an hour before they made their way downstairs, with Laura, as usual, unable to wipe the goofy smile from her face.

The rest of the house wasn't small, as such, but there didn't seem to be an excess of extra space. Hardwood floors, cream-colored walls, brass doorknobs... and iron. From the wrought iron chandelier in the dining room to the cast iron stools and shelves in the kitchen to little decorative items scattered throughout the rest of the house, there wasn't a room there that one wouldn't be able to grab something to defend one's self (or one's daughter) from a hostile creature of Faerie.

Laura ignored that, instead heading to the family computer and booting it up. Once it was ready, she plugged JP's flashdrive into it. It took a bit longer than normal, but the connection was soon established, with JP's tiny picture popping up in the bottom left corner of the screen. Despite herself, Carmilla was a bit relieved to see that, as promised, he was completely unharmed by what her mother had done.

Not that she'd ever let on about that.

Once she'd gotten him calmed down, and brought him up to speed on recent developments, she got down to business. "There's something I'd like you to do for me," she told him. "I would have asked you before, but I didn't want the dean to know. Now that we're away from all the prying eyes on the Silas Aethernet, however..."

'I'm always happy to help,' JP assured her. 'What is it you'd like me to do?'

"I need you to look up some records. Birth records, from Toronto, Ontario, in Canada. My Dad doesn't talk about where we moved here from - he always insisted it didn't matter, that _this_ was our home - but he did slip up one time and mention going to a Maple Leafs game with his father when he was a kid. I want you to tell me if... that's where I'm from." Because she honestly didn't know. Like so many things, even that had been hidden from her.

But whether the world liked it or not, she _was_ going to finally start getting some answers.

Once she'd given him all the details he needed to begin, she made sure she had her house key on her (there weren't a lot of keys on her keyring, so it wasn't hard), then left with Carmilla to walk to her old high school.

It was distinctly warmer there than it had been at Silas. Given the date, it was likely warm there all year 'round, which made sense if you were looking to hide somewhere that your changeling daughter wouldn't notice the cold didn't really affect her. "Where are we, exactly?"

"Gibraltar."

"Ah." That would do it, alright. Warm climate, enough English speakers that they'd be able to get by until they managed to also learn some Spanish, and small enough to go generally unnoticed by the powers of the supernatural world.

It was small enough, in fact, that they were able to reach Laura's old school in short order. Not wanting to deal with the hassle of explaining what she was doing there to the faculty, she veiled the two of them again and magically opened the door, walking quickly enough down the halls that Carmilla couldn't stop and get a good look around - likely deliberately, the vampire thought, to better head off any potential teasing upon catching sight of a young Laura in a picture or two, or some such thing. She paused at the door to the guidance counselor's office, making sure she was calm, then let the veil drop and opened the door, walking in.

Then she stopped dead in her tracks, staring at the man who should _not_ have been sitting at the desk there. "Who are you?" she demanded.

He blinked, taken aback. "Excuse me, young lady?"

"This is still the Guidance Counselor's office, isn't it? I've only been gone a few months, they shouldn't have moved things around that much."

"Yes, it is," he said slowly, looking at her uncertainly. "Do we have an appointment?"

"No." She really was trying so hard to remain patient. "Who are you? Where's Ms. Somerset?"

Carmilla twitched. _Somerset?_

"My name is Miguel de Mena. No one by the name of Somerset has ever been on staff at this school."

"Which we kind of expected, given where she sent you to school," Carmilla whispered. There was a look of dawning realization spreading across Laura's face, mixed with a fair amount of horror. Clearly, she'd just figured something out, and just as clearly, she didn't like it. Best to get her somewhere they could talk freely before her mouth got away from her, then. "C'mon, we should go."

"Right." She absently waved a hand at Mr. de Mena, muttering, "These aren't the droids you're looking for. You can go about your business. Move along." That said, she and Carmilla left, while he went back to his paperwork, forgetting they'd ever been there.

It left Carmilla feeling mildly uneasy, made all the worse by the way Laura didn't seem to _care_ what she'd done. However, that was only because she was reeling from having her world shaken up again, Carmilla knew. She'd seen the signs of it enough to know it when she saw it. What was really worrying, however, was the way Laura stalked out of the school, fists clenched, walked over to the side of the building, and promptly started smacking her head against it. Not terribly hard, at least, but still... "Cupcake-?"

" _Somer. Set_ ," she said through gritted teeth, punctuating each word with by thudding her head against the wall.

"Yeah, I... noticed that," she admitted. Even if she'd been trying not to think about it, for a while. "You think your cousin...?"

"No." Thankfully, Laura stopped smacking her head against the building, turning and glaring at nothing in particular. "She didn't know where to find me, remember?"

Right. "I suppose it could have been someone else in Summer..."

Laura shook her head. " _ **Mab**_ ," she ground out, the name as much a realization as a curse.

She'd been afraid it was something like that. "Are you sure?"

"Maeve said it herself: the mantle of the Princess was created for a reason, and the Courts have to remain in balance, so since the last Summer Princess died, she's been handing her responsibilities off to others. _That's_ what this whole thing has been about: restoring the balance in Faerie. Mab kept me away from my Mom so I wouldn't be raised knowing anything about magic, then sent me off to Silas where I'd find a damned good reason to _need_ that knowledge and power. I don't know how long the list of people who could hide me from my mother is, but she'd be pretty high up there on it, I'm certain. And to keep Maeve from knowing? It was Mab, I know it."

"...maybe you should stop saying her name, then?"

Laura laughed harshly. "Oh, I don't need to worry about attracting her attention. She's always been keeping an eye on me." She raised her voice. "Haven't you? Making sure I stayed out of any trouble that might catch my Mom's attention? There's no way you missed me coming back here, of all places. _Did you, Your Majesty_?"

"There, you see?" a new voice asked from precisely nowhere. Carmilla blinked... and there was suddenly someone standing at a halfway between her and Laura, forming a triangle. "Given enough time, you can be quite perceptive."

The woman standing there was a vision of beauty the likes of which Carmilla had seen only once, when she'd met Laura's mother. She wore a sparkling white gown, tinted here and there with streaks of frozen blue or glacial green. She wore it with inhuman elegance, its rippling fabric draping with feminine perfection, her body a perfect balance of curves and planes, beauty and strength. The gown was cut low, and left her shoulders and arms bare. Her skin would make snow seem somehow sallow by comparison. Glittering colors flickered at her wrists, her throat, and upon her fingers, always changing, cycling through deep blue and green and violet iridescence. Her fingernails glittered with the same impossibly shifting hues.

Upon her head was a circlet of ice, elegant and intricate, as if it had been formed from a single crystalline snowflake. Her long hair was tied up in a fluffy cloud at the back of her head, silken and white, matching her gown perfectly. Her lips - her gorgeous, sensual lips - were the color of frozen raspberries.

She was a vision of beauty, the kind that has inspired artists for centuries, immortal beauty that is rarely imagined, much less actually seen. And then there were her eyes. They were wide, feline eyes, vertically slitted like a cat's. They shifted color in time with her gems - or, more likely, the gems changed color in time with her eyes. And though they, too, were beautiful beyond the bounds of mortality, they were cold eyes, inhuman eyes, filled with intelligence and desire, but empty of compassion or pity.

Laura, having gotten used to seeing such inhuman beauty as she reconnected with her mother, was unimpressed. "Hello, Aunt Mab," she said coldly.

Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness, monarch of the Unseelie fae, the Winter Court of the Sidhe, simply inclined her head.

And here Carmilla had thought dealing with her angry mother would be the scariest thing that happened to her today.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** Yes, I freely admit to borrowing more faerie-related concepts from the _Dresden Files_ series of books. Honestly, if it weren't for some fundamental incompatibilities in some aspects of their universes, this likely would have been a crossover. But I think it works out better this way, as a sort of alternate reality sort of tale.

* * *

In some distant corner of her mind, Laura knew she was in a lot of trouble.

It wouldn't be hard to guess why. Not only was she facing the seemingly impossible task of advancing her knowledge and skills to the point where she'd be able to stop the upcoming sacrifice at school, not only would that mean having to find a way to defeat the dean, and hurt Lophiiformes _without_ killing it, and manage to do all of that **without** accepting the mantle of Summer Princess, but now she had to deal with the Winter Queen, as well. If she actually stopped and really thought about how deep she was getting, she might well have considered giving up her journalism studies in favor of learning a career that let her hide under a rock, professionally.

However, the reason the knowledge of how screwed she could well be was shut away in the back of her mind was because, as Carmilla had noted (to her dismay) earlier, when Laura got angry enough, she just _stopped caring_ about that sort of thing. Someone like Mab, or even the dean, might well have her outclassed, but give her a good enough reason and, unless someone stopped her, she might well take a swing at them, anyway. The idea that the dean had physically assaulted Carmilla had been one such reason.

Mab trying to take away her choices - her _life_ \- and force her down a path she didn't want was another.

She glared at her aunt, fists clenched, teeth gritted, aura of fire beginning to form around her. Mab was utterly unperturbed. "Why?" Laura demanded.

"It was necessary."

"It was **not**!" she shot back. "You had _**no right**_ to keep me from my mother!"

"Were that true, would I have been able to do so?"

Fire _erupted_ into being around her. " _Stop it_ ," she seethed. "Stop **dodging**. If you can't answer my questions directly, you have _no business_ being here talking to me at all!"

She didn't quite notice Carmilla, standing off to the side, shaking her head in an exaggerated motion and waving her hands back and forth, silently pleading with her to stop provoking the Faerie Queen.

Mab simply raised an eyebrow. "Do not presume that you can tell me what to do, my niece. I understand that you are distraught, and am willing to make allowances for your behavior thus far." She pursed her lips and blew... and Laura's fire was extinguished as if it had never existed. "But that kind of rudeness is not to be encouraged."

Laura stared at her, shaken. It wasn't like she hadn't known that the Queens of Faerie were Powers that could rival pretty much anything in the supernatural world (and possibly beyond). She just hadn't had any real appreciation for what that _meant_. Power like that wasn't something she could conceive of, and didn't really want to try. She was at least _thinking_ again, though, which meant she did understand that she really needed to change her approach here, if she didn't want horribly unpleasant things to start happening. She hadn't forgotten her mother warning her against approaching the Winter Queen - though, in this case, their meeting had been rather inevitable, hadn't it? Because, again, with her impersonation of a guidance counselor, Mab had _approached her_.

She was going to need to start coming up with plans for what to do in such situations, wasn't she?

"I suppose the woman who wrote the Unseelie Accords would know all about proper etiquette," Carmilla noted as she edged carefully past Mab to stand next to Laura.

"The what?"

"The Unseelie Accords are a set of agreements - sort of like the Geneva Conventions - that govern behavior between its signatories, who are the major powers of the supernatural world. The current version of them was finalized in the Fifties, I think." She shrugged. "I didn't hear anything about it until I got to Silas."

Laura blinked, confusion stealing the edge away from her fear. "Why would she...?"

"Because someone had to?" Another shrug. "I don't know. The Accords include protocols for etiquette, hospitality, formal duels, and neutral ground, among other things."

Remembering Kheelan's accidental near-breech of her hospitality, Laura grimaced. "I guess everyone wouldn't have the same instinctive reaction that I..." A _**horrible**_ thought struck her. "Oh, God, it _isn't_ instinctive, is it? **You** did that to me."

Mab raised an eyebrow. "You are a child of _Summer_ , Laura. Were such a thing to occur, **I** would not be the Queen to have done it."

"Well, maybe I should call Mom down here, too, so the two of you can discuss the matter," Laura suggested archly. "I'm sure she'd _love_ to hear all about your reasoning for stealing me away from her."

"I did no such thing," the Winter Queen replied, seemingly completely unperturbed at the thought of her sister's anger. "I did not compel your father to enter into a bargain with me, nor did I threaten reprisal should he refuse. That you were lacking a maternal figure for much of your youth may be unfortunate from your perspective, but not ultimately of little concern."

Seeing Laura was starting to get angry again, Carmilla leaned in close and quietly said, "The other thing you should remember about the Accords is that there's a **reason** that when your aunt there said, 'Sign these Accords and abide by them,' everyone listened. _Everyone_."

Right, right. She needed to control her temper. The Queen's faint look of amusement wasn't helping there, though. "I suppose it's just as well you didn't try raising me in her stead," she commented lightly, though her eyes were hard. "I've met your daughter, after all."

Mab didn't look amused, anymore. Hopefully that was a good thing. (Or, at least, not horribly bad.) "Then you should also keep in mind her current behavior is in large part due to her duties and responsibilities being taken up by others, leaving her with far too much time to... indulge herself."

"Mom did call her 'a sadistic, spoiled child'," Laura agreed. Whether or not she liked hearing it, Mab didn't disagree with the assessment, which almost made Laura feel bad for Maeve. Almost. "And, you know, if you'd just _let_ Mom raise me, chances are I'd have been the Summer Princess for a _while_ , now."

"Or that you would be dead. Regardless, it did not happen, and as such, dwelling on the possibility would be pointless."

As true as that may have been - and it wasn't like Mab could tell an outright lie anymore than Titania could - Laura couldn't just shrug and go 'Oh, well'. Not about that. Yet, if the Queen of Winter didn't want to talk about something, Laura could hardly force her to. "Then what are you doing here? Why direct me to Silas? I know whatever bargain you made with my Dad probably forbid telling Mom about what you were doing with me, but I don't for one second believe that _you_ couldn't have found a way around that before now."

Mab smiled slightly, but didn't reply.

Laura huffed angrily. "Yeah, I know, knowledge, power, whatever. _You're here_. You took the time out of your day to come see me. Kindly do not insult me by pretending there isn't a reason."

"I didn't say there wasn't." Her smile widened, displaying delicately pointed canines. "I am here to help you."

There was a long pause.

"...no, seriously."

Something cold and haughty flickered through Mab's eyes. "Promises must be kept," she murmured, and the words made the very air vibrate. She fixed Laura with an intent look, adding, "You know this to be true, do you not?"

She did. Her father had raised her not to make promises unless she _really_ intended to keep them, probably because he knew she might not be able to do otherwise, at least in some cases, and didn't want her to know that. The only ones she'd made in recent history... She buried a wince. She'd promised her mother that she wouldn't start a fight with the dean until she _knew_ she could win it... and promised Carmilla that she _would_ free the captive souls within the Light. Rather than dwell on that, and the knowledge that she could do both by taking on the mantle of Princess, she asked, "What promise? To whom?"

"No one you know, or could have known."

"Josie," she realized. Kheelan had said the Winter Queen personally laid her to rest, but they could easily have had time to talk, first.

"Indeed. She was deeply grieved to have failed in her quest. I've no love for the one currently calling herself Lilita Morgan; setting events into motion to lead to her downfall cost me precious little."

No. It had only taken one meeting with her 'guidance counselor' to do that. But then, why was she...? Oh. Of course. "I wasn't supposed to go for the sword, was I?" she asked, becoming increasingly convinced that she was right as she spoke. "I was supposed to just write that off as unattainable and take up the mantle. Wasn't I?"

In response, Mab stepped closer, produced a small object from thin air, and held it out to Laura, who looked at it warily. "And that would be...?" she asked, making no move to take it.

"The cleansing talisman you'll need to get through the outer layer of the protections on the Blade."

"And what would _that_ cost me?"

"You may consider it payment for exposing the fallen seer at your school. She had caused me some minor annoyance several years past, therefore I am able to provide you this minor aid."

Laura gingerly reached out and took it, desperately hoping she wasn't making a mistake. She'd really rather have had a chance to ask the Summers what she might need, but she was running out of time to find and retrieve the sword, and if Mab felt she owed her a minor debt, best to get that out of the way now, given how the Fae evidently _hated_ to be indebted to another. This wouldn't get Carmilla past whatever guardian creature Maeve had mentioned there was, or ground out the charge of the inner layer - whatever _that_ was. Some kind of electrical charge? She'd conjure up some copper wire or something for Carmilla to bring down with her. "Minor annoyance that you won't tell me about, most likely," she guessed.

"It has no bearing on this situation."

_Translation: Mind your own business,_ Laura thought. "I don't suppose you know what the dean did to tick off Maeve?"

"I am the Queen of Air and Darkness, child. There is little I do not."

"Will you tell me _that_? I'm pretty sure it kind of _is_ relevant to this situation."

"Related, perhaps. Relevant is another matter."

Of course not. She hadn't really expected an answer. "You are vastly irritating, you know that?"

There was that faint smile again. "I repeat, there is little I do not know."

Laura felt her lips twitch, despite herself. Well, at least she was _aware_ of how frustrating it could be to deal with her. That was... something. She supposed. What could she ask about that actually _might_ get an answer? "So, since you wrote those Accords, maybe you can tell me: The fact that the dean took one of the Summer Society for the sacrifice...?"

"The mortals are not signatories of the Accords, yet they do owe my sister their loyalty, and act with her consent and upon her will. If the missing one is killed, she may demand a weregild in compensation."

_That_ wasn _'t_ a word she knew, but she could make a pretty good guess as to the meaning from context. "That's... what, blood money? I don't care about that! I want to know if that abduction - taking someone from the group meant to be keeping an eye on her, no less - is cause to _do something_ about her." And Mab surely knew that.

"Cause? Possibly. Were she inclined to take offense at any harm done to the group that failed her daughter. Even then..." A graceful, elegant shrug. "Offering such a challenge would fall within the Summer Princess's realm of responsibility."

So if anything happened to Elsie and the others, it would be her fault, one way or another. Wonderful. "What would happen if I actually won? Not regarding the Gate, so much as... everything else. I don't know if I ever got a straight answer about that."

"As the Princess, you would be beyond any retaliation or reprisals."

Meaning if she didn't take the mantle, she and her friends would be open season for any of the dean's more loyal followers. "So, be the Princess, or leave no survivors?"

"Indeed." Mab looked almost proud of her.

Laura, for her part, was starting to feel a little sick. She hadn't meant to suggest that as a genuine strategy. _Neither_ of those options were acceptable to her, really. "Would the Blade of Hastur work as a throwing weapon?" she asked abruptly. "Maeve said no one had ever tried that, and I'm not letting anyone sacrifice themselves for me."

The Winter Queen looked somewhat intrigued. "The backlash against the one who wields it is caused by the blade striking the target. The Cult of Hastur might well have done better to make it a spear, rather than a sword. However, if not absorbed by the wielder, the charge will deleteriously affect those around what it hits."

"Which should keep any of them from picking the damn thing up, at least," Carmilla offered. She would obviously be happy if this conversation were already over and done with, but she knew, even better than Laura, that they couldn't just tell someone like a Faerie Queen to just go away. And, if pressed, would admit that this was an opportunity for information Laura couldn't afford to pass up.

And Laura knew it. She felt a burst of excitement, realizing their plan might well work. There was just one thing bothering her about it. "And... You're okay with helping me with this? Even if it means I won't need to be the Princess?"

"Whether you use the sword or not matters little. I know you will accept the mantle."

"Oh, do you? And why's that?"

Mab gave her a cold, pitiless smile, saying nothing.

Laura fought down a fresh surge of frustration. Why did she have to be so deliberately difficult? Would it really upset the balance of Faerie if she explained why she was so sure of that, or even why her father had entered into a bargain with... her...

She felt the blood drain from her face.

"My Dad," she whispered. How had she not realized the implications? He'd made a bargain with Mab to hide his daughter from the Summer Queen. He _owed_ her.

"As I said, I know you will accept the mantle of Summer Princess."

A sense of hopeless despair began clawing at her insides, but she pushed it down as best as she was able. "And if I wanted to purchase that debt by some other means?"

"Do you believe there is truly something else you can do for me that I could not get elsewhere?"

_No,_ Laura told herself. _Don't start crying. That won't go over well._ "What does he owe you?"

"His life, freedom, and future."

The despair was getting harder to push away. "Well... If I don't accept the mantle _now_ , that doesn't mean I never will. Is there a time limit...?"

She didn't finish the question, but Mab knew what she was really asking. "I _can_ call in the debt at any time. There is no set condition that would require me to do so, save for you refusing the mantle, or dying before you can accept it."

She'd promised her mother she wouldn't take on Lilith until she _knew_ she cold win, but the idea that _anything else_ that killed her might also cost her father everything... "I never really had a chance, did I?" she asked softly. "All of my choices, and plans, and decisions... None of it means anything, does it?"

"Don't start talking like that," Carmilla told her, taking her hands. She didn't know why Laura was so against the idea of being the Summer Princess, save for resenting having a 'destiny' thrust upon her... which was something Carmilla _did_ understand. "Come on, we'll figure something out. Right now, we need to go get that sword, then-"

"Very well," Mab interrupted, then abruptly reached out and shoved Carmilla... who promptly vanished through another passage.

"What the-?" Laura jerked in shock, not even really noticing that Carmilla had wound up accidentally taking the talisman with her. She'd barely gotten a sense of the passage before it was gone. "What did you just do?"

"I sent her after the sword," Mab replied, as if that should have been obvious.

"But she doesn't have anything to ground out the charge with!" Laura objected. "Or help dealing with whatever creature's there! Or a ride home!"

"Then you'd better figure out how to go to her, hadn't you?"

" **I can't!** " She glared, fury and panic warring for supremacy within her. "I don't know how that works!"

"Yet, here you are."

" _That was an accident!_ " Didn't she _get_ it? "I panicked and wound up bringing us to my bedroom at home! That is **NOT** the same as being able to jump to where I want to go, _especially_ when I've never been there before!"

"Home." Mab shook her head. "Home is not a place, Laura. The memories, the emotional connection you have to it, that is what you latched onto. Do so again. You have claimed the vampire as yours, after all."

"I... I've _what_?"

"She's cast aside her previous allegiances for you. She puts you before any other. She's tasted your blood."

"Once!"

Another elegant shrug. "Be that as it may, it has marked her. By Blood and by Oath, she is yours. Go to her." She turned away. "Or do not. It matters little to me." With a sudden _**crack**_ of sound, she was gone, leaving Laura standing alone, with nothing but her mounting panic to keep her company.

* * *

Understandably, Carmilla was rather caught off guard by being shoved through a hole in reality for the second time that day. She was even more surprised by the fact that, rather than being at ground level like every other instance she'd ever seen, experienced, or even just heard of, this one was up in the air.

About twenty feet up in the air.

Over a lake.

Mab, she decided as she plummeted toward the surface of the water, apparently had a sense of humor.

Great.

The impact with the water momentarily knocked her senseless, though she did at least manage to avoid gulping down any lake water. It was only when she clenched her fists that she realized she'd taken the talisman Mab had given Laura. She made sure to hang onto it as she swam back toward the surface, given that the Winter Queen wasn't likely to provide a replacement should they lose it. Laura had gone over what they'd need to do to get the sword on the walk to her old high school, so she knew the talisman alone wouldn't be enough. Hopefully, the guardian creature wouldn't be a factor until she approached the cavern where the sword was housed.

Because she was pretty sure she knew exactly where Mab had dropped her.

She surfaced and began treading water, somehow unsurprised to find no sign of any shore in sight. Given the sheer size of Lake Baikal, that didn't quite help narrow down exactly where she was. For that matter, they still hadn't been able to ascertain just where the cavern that housed the cliff face that the sword was sealed into, and she didn't have time to thoroughly examine it inch by inch. Lake Baikal was the world's deepest lake, and held more water than all the North American Great Lakes combined. She _might_ find the sword in time to stop the **next** sacrifice in twenty years if she tried that approach.

For a long minute, she simply floated there, treading water, trying to figure out what to do next. Then, as she'd halfway been expecting, there was a swirling in the waters several feet away from her, and a slow spiral of water spray spun up from the surface of the lake. She'd seen weirder, but then, she'd had an eventful life. (Unlife. Whatever.) The spray rolled up and away to slowly display Mab, standing _on_ the water of the lake.

Glowering, she asked, "And you couldn't have warned me because...?"

"It would have changed nothing."

It might have given her time to prepare. The cat in her didn't like being dunked in water, especially without warning. "We're going to disagree on that. So, now what?"

"You might scour the lake for the Blade, or you may wait for Laura to find you. In the meantime..." Mab peered down at her critically. "...I would know why."

"Why _what_?" She could definitely sympathize with Laura; it was much easier to advise someone to remain calm when you weren't the one the Faerie Queen was focusing on... or being supremely irritating to.

"Why you would turn against your sire. Why you've sided with my niece. Why are you involved in this matter, Mircalla?"

There were a hundred ways to answer that question... and none that she felt like sharing with Mab. Unbidden, memories of her time with Laura sprang readily to mind. Their date under the stars. Laura promising to save Elle and the others. Laura comforting her. _Accepting_ her as she was. And that smile, the morning after their first time together. No one had _ever_ smiled at her like that.

Something must have shown on her face, because Mab suddenly smiled slowly. "Ah. _Love_." Carmilla tensed. "So many terrible things are done for love," Mab continued. "For love will men mutilate themselves and murder rivals. For love will even a peaceful man go to war. For love, man will destroy himself, and that right willingly." She began circling Carmilla, walking across the surface of the water as if it were solid. Carmilla turned as she went, trying to keep her in sight. Not that it would matter, but she couldn't quite help it. "You are something of an anomaly," Mab told her. "A complication to many. Her love for you may well cause Laura to resist the mantle that is her birthright. Yet, to save you, she would likely take it up in an instant. I find myself curious to see which will be the probable outcome."

Having _no idea_ what to say to any of that, Carmilla didn't even try. "So, how _are_ we supposed to find the sword? You kind of shoved me here before we finished doing our research."

"If Laura cannot find it, she does not deserve it," Mab replied simply. She paused and fixed Carmilla with a look. "I'll not coddle her. I've no use for weakness."

"No offense, but you're starting to remind me of my mother."

Mab smirked. "I believe the mortal phrase would be, 'She wishes'."

Carmilla couldn't help but laugh.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Okay, calm, Laura told herself for about the thousandth time in the last few minutes. Be calm. She could do this. She could _totally_ do this. She'd only ever opened a passage by accident, but she _had_ done it, which meant she was physically and magically capable of it. Which meant she could do so again.

She just needed to figure out how to trigger it.

Kheelan's instructions weren't helping much. Given how fiendishly complicated and difficult a process it was, he was understandably trying to get her to understand _how_ it worked, first - and even then, they'd only had one lesson on the subject. She had a vague idea about the energy flow and spatial equations involved that likely would have made much more sense if she'd had a physics degree, but little else. She'd been through them frequently, so she knew how _that_ felt, but feeling someone else's magic and doing the same trick herself was not the same.

Okay, maybe she was overthinking this. Opening a door to Faerie, she'd been told, was something every one of the fae could do, from anywhere (unless it was behind magical wards and shields, but that was another conversation altogether). It stood to reason, then, that she could, too. Following that, if she opened a door, holding it open and opening another back to somewhere else on Earth shouldn't be _too_ much harder, right? Right, she told herself. She could totally do that... probably. Why hadn't Kheelan said anything about that, or shown her how to just cross over to Faerie, in case she ever wanted to surprise her Mom with a visit?

Because... that _might_ have helped her get the sword, if she went the next logical step and extrapolated how to open a passage from that lesson, and her Mom didn't want her getting the sword, knowing it could kill her? Or that, if she had it, she might not need to take the mantle of Princess?

Whatever. She could figure that out later. Right now, Carmilla was floating alone in Lake Baikal. Or, worse, she _wasn't_ alone. Laura needed to hurry up and get to her, _now_.

As she'd demonstrated a number of times, her emotions were tied closely to her magic. However, as she'd _also_ demonstrated, that was a double-edged sword. Getting angry in combat would provide her with a ton of extra power, true, but if she let her temper get away from her, that power would be wild and uncontrolled, as likely to hurt her allies as her enemies. Probably more so, since any skilled opponents would know how to take advantage of her inattention. Power was well and good, but it needed to be balanced by restraint.

_Home is not a place, Laura. The memories, the emotional connection you have to it, that is what you latched onto. Do so again. You have claimed the vampire as yours, after all._

Self-discipline, she realized. She'd learned that very thing during her krav maga lessons, over the years. Not so much from the lessons themselves, exactly - krav maga was designed to put your opponent down as quickly as possible, and make sure they stayed there - but from her instructors. It wasn't just learning how to fight, but _why_. Self-defense, to protect someone else... Never to just go out and kick some ass, just because you could. In the course of learning how to incapacitate (or even cripple) someone, she'd been taught impulse control, tolerance, memory development, taking responsibility, and a number of other things designed to help her remember that just because she could do something, that didn't necessarily mean that she should. That wasn't why martial arts had been developed, after all.

She'd never really consciously thought about it, but she'd unknowingly begun tying her magic lessons into that philosophy, as well. It made sense, she supposed - magic could be even more dangerous than all the punches and kicks and so on in the world, so she'd instinctively apply that same restraint. Since she'd been doing it subconsciously, however, it wasn't exactly perfect, and her magic acted on her emotions, so she could incinerate something without ever moving, or possibly even realizing she was doing it until it was too late. Also, since she had so little experience dealing with it, her magic-infused emotions could surge up and get the better of her - and Mab had already driven home how badly _that_ could turn out in a fight, if she challenged someone so far above her weight class, like that.

So, for the first time, she _did_ consciously think about it. She knew what she wanted to happen: she wanted to go to wherever Carmilla was, just then. Sheer panic had been enough to open a passage to flee through before, but that wasn't what she was after now. Still, if one pure emotion was enough to let her manage it, perhaps another could be used in this case.

_She's cast aside her previous allegiances for you. She puts you before any other. She's tasted your blood. It has marked her._

She'd never felt - never even noticed - any kind of mark, magical or otherwise, that she'd placed on Carmilla. It must have been something incredibly subtle. Probably too subtle to pick up from where she was, but if there was a connection present, it had to link itself to her, too, so she should be able to pick up on that.

She hoped.

_By Blood and by Oath, she is yours. Go to her._

Carmilla, she told herself. Just think about Carmilla. Not facts, or words, just emotions. How Carmilla made her feel. How it felt when they were together, like things were finally **right** with the world, when she'd never noticed how off they were before. The touch of her skin. The peace that Carmilla had brought her on their first real date, sitting there under the stars. There _was_ something, she realized. It was deep beneath the surface, and very faint even now that she had it, but it was there. Carmilla was hers. She was Carmilla's. Carmilla needed her.

She didn't even stop to think. The tunnel she punched through reality was rough, and crude, but it was more or less stable, and she instinctively jumped through it before she really knew what she was doing.

* * *

Carmilla found herself feeling almost nostalgic for her one encounter with Titania.

It hadn't lasted very long, the Summer Queen had been seconds away from killing her horribly a number of times, and she'd made it clear she did _not_ approve her Carmilla's relationship with Laura. One slip up, and that was it. It had been tense, nerve-wracking, stressful, and all manner of such adjectives.

And she would happily have been back in that conversation than continue to deal with Mab.

The Winter Queen was being polite enough, sure. Hadn't really threatened her once. Yet, as unpleasant as it had been, Titania had been fairly direct with both her purpose in being there and what she'd do to ensure it happened, if she had to. Because she was carrying out her daughter's request? She didn't know, but the lack of attempts to ensnare her in any bargains, lead her in conversational circles without actually revealing anything, or displaying apathy regarding her fate was oddly refreshing, in retrospect.

That she might spare Laura from whatever it was she was so afraid of made it harder to reject even the idea of making any bargains, but she knew enough about the fae to know that the most probable outcome was that she would _technically_ get what she'd asked for - which would not be what she actually _wanted_ \- and be indebted to the Queen without really helping Laura, with any further attempts to do so or pay that debt off only getting her in deeper. Oh, Mab always kept her word, always fulfilled any bargains she made. That was one of the more fundamental truths of the supernatural world.

But Carmilla wasn't stupid.

Neither was Mab. She seemed to know exactly how helpless it made Carmilla feel to not be able to help Laura with any of her real problems, and refused to answer any questions _without_ bargaining for those answers. She remembered what Laura had said, which gibed with what she knew, about how hard it could be for the fae to make definite, declarative statements, or just tell someone something. Even more so for a Queen of Faerie. As such, Carmilla supposed she couldn't get _too_ upset about Mab just acting according to her nature... but that didn't make it less irritating to be on the receiving end of.

Mab cocking her head as if she'd heard something and making an interested noise was all the warning she had before a yelping, flailing mass of limbs spilled out of the empty air above her, crashing into her and knocking them both underwater. She was momentarily stunned by the impact, but some instinct told her _exactly_ who'd just smacked into her, so she wasted no time in tugging her up toward the surface. Sure enough, once she could see clearly again, there was Laura, coughing and sputtering.

"There, you see? You _can_ do it," Mab told her.

"Great. Thanks ever so much," Laura coughed out, then made an absent gesture with her right hand... and a flat surface of some kind shimmered into existence beneath them, rising up until it was floating on the surface of the lake. Carmilla wasted no time in standing up and wiping the water away from her eyes. "I'm okay," Laura told her preemptively, even as she coughed roughly a few more times. "This is no worse than that time you surprised me and I inhaled my grape soda."

"No, that was a lot more fun," Carmilla disagreed, if only because of what had come after.

Laura, remembering that as well, blushed.

"So. We're at the lake. Now what?" she asked, trying to get things moving again. For all of the Cupcake's assurances that she was fine, she'd be happier once they were tucked in bed where she could properly make sure of that. Among other reasons for being in bed, of course.

Laura shook her head, visibly working to shift into 'sword retrieval' mode. "Um... right." She crouched down at the edge of the platform - it looked like it was made out of wood, conforming to Laura's habit of conjuring things up and then just leaving them behind after she moved on - and closed her eyes, dipping a hand into the water. She stayed that way for almost a minute, then finally inhaled sharply, opening her eyes. "Got it," she said as she stood back up. "It's not directly beneath us, but it isn't _too_ far away, either." She bit her lip, focusing on the energy pattern she was sensing, and conjured up a small stone arrowhead - maybe an inch in length - attached to a slender silvery chain, then imprinted that pattern upon it. "This should lead you to it," she said handing it to Carmilla. A moment's thought, and she also gave her a freshly conjured pair of goggles. Maybe she _could_ force her eyes to stay open underwater, but why needlessly complicate an already difficult situation? "I don't suppose you feel like telling me what _kind_ of charge is on the inner layer of protections?" she asked Mab, pretty sure she knew what the answer would be.

"It would ultimately matter little."

"Yeah, that's what I thought you'd say," she muttered. Okay, not knowing exactly what kind of energy it was, she didn't know what might ground it out, so maybe she should try something else. Energy couldn't be created or destroyed - though she herself certainly seemed like an insanely powerful energy generator without nearly enough fuel intake to explain that, so maybe that only applied to non-magical energy? - merely changed... or moved. And why take the chance of grounding it out and _hoping_ it didn't electrify the water or some such thing, she suddenly thought, when you could drain and store it? She took a minute to figure out exactly what she needed to accomplish her latest idea, then conjured up what looked like a clear fist-sized crystal with four silvery multi-jointed, crab-like legs. "Here, attach this to the inner layer, once you have access to it. If I've done this right, it should act like a battery and drain the charge into it." She handed that over, too. "As for whatever kind of guardian creature's down there..." Well, there she had no real ideas. What kind of weapon was best suited for underwater combat? She thought she remembered once reading something about guns that worked underwater, and she knew what bang sticks were, but she didn't have a good enough idea of how either functioned to envision it enough to create them. A spear gun sounded simpler, but she was pretty sure whatever was down there would take more than a single spear to kill. After wracking her brain, she finally came up with one possibility.

"A trident?" a dubious Carmilla asked as she took the proffered weapon. "Do I _look_ like freaking Aquaman?"

"I can't make things if I don't have a good idea of what they are, at least, if not necessarily exactly how they function," Laura defended. "Besides, it has several really sharp end points, there's a nice and long haft to keep something with teeth at bay if it gets too close, and the long shaft means you can keep your distance while attacking. The point is just to get the sword, after all, not necessarily _kill_ whatever's down there. But don't worry, I do have some backup weapons in mind."

Those weapons appeared on a freshly conjured up belt: a pair of simple but wickedly sharp knives, and a trio of... "Grenades?" Carmilla shot her an incredulous look.

"What? I don't know how tough the thing might be. I'm sure you're smart enough to only use those as a last resort, and make sure you've got something solid - or a **lot** of distance - between you and however many you set off."

"I'm just surprised you know enough about how _these_ work to make them." Though she would admit, her girlfriend casually offering her high explosives was something of a surprise. Not a bad one, necessarily, just... odd.

"Some research I did once. I'll tell you about it later, if you want." She looked Carmilla up and down. "Can you think of anything else you might need?" She didn't really want to send her girlfriend off on a dangerous fetch quest, but couldn't think of any other valid reason to delay it.

_A stunt double?_ She didn't actually say that, though, half-worried that Laura might decide that was a great idea and actually try to make one. She knew _just_ enough about homunculi to know that making one was something best left to those who knew _exactly_ what they were doing, if one had to be made at all. "Nah, I got this," she said instead. Seeing that Laura didn't look terribly reassured, she stepped closer and gave her a quick kiss. "Trust me, Cupcake. Diving underwater to retrieve a magic sword isn't even in the Top Five weirdest things I've ever done." Though it was in the top ten, especially given the nature of the blade. She very carefully didn't admit to that, though, especially since Laura looked a little calmer. "The most time-consuming parts of this will be the swims down and back up."

That was probably true. Any fights would likely be fast, frenetic things. "You sure you don't at least want a light, or something?"

She started to decline, but paused. Her nightvision might be enough - and would certainly attract less potentially hostile attention - but at the same time, she'd never dived quite that deep, and she did need at least a _little_ light to work with. "Might as well," she said with a shrug. "Maybe I can use it as a decoy, if I end up not needing it."

Almost before she was finished speaking, Laura was conjuring up a black diving vest. In one of the many pockets was a handheld 1000-lumen LED dive light. Another held a number of glow sticks. (After learning where the Blade of Hastur was sealed away, she'd done a bit of research on what kind of lights would work best in that environment, and at that depth. Glow sticks weren't really one of them, but she'd made sure that _these_ wouldn't spring any leaks. She only wished she'd known the details of the seal on the sword at the time, so she could have done some weapons research, as well.)

Carmilla shrugged off her jacket, grimacing at the wet plop it made as the soaked leather hit the wooden platform. "Maybe you can try and do something with that while you're waiting? I think my phone's in one of the pockets, too."

"...um, right." The delay in answering was partly because Laura had no real idea how to undo water damage in leather, partly because she'd so far had no real lessons in using magic on technology (creating her magic Go Pro equivalent was not the same thing at all)... and partly because she'd gotten distracted by her girlfriend's very wet, fairly transparent white t-shirt.

Carmilla grinned as she finished securing the vest, slipping the magic battery (or whatever it was) Laura had made into another pocket, but politely didn't call her on it. "Try not to get too bored while I'm gone." So saying, she adjusted her goggles, then simply stepped off the platform and swiftly sank out of sight.

"Bored," Laura echoed, shooting an irritated look at Mab, who had casually walked over to stand on the far end of the platform. "Yeah, right." She picked up Carmilla's dripping coat - she'd mostly forgotten that she was soaking wet, herself, having had more important things to think about - and studied it for a moment, before holding it out toward Mab. "Here," she said, working to maintain as even a tone as she could. " _You_ shoved Carmilla into the water without warning, so _you're_ responsible for the damage to her belongings."

"I could argue that," Mab replied, looking faintly amused. "But I've no particular wish to seem petty." She tapped the coat with one elegantly manicured fingernail, and it seemed to twitch in her hands, the scent of freshly fallen snow (which she hadn't thought _had_ a scent, but that was what her brain was telling her it was, instinctively recognizing it somehow) rising briefly in the air. It faded away before long, but had distracted her for just long enough to miss the coat's transition from wet and damaged to dry and just fine.

Laura blinked, somewhat impressed despite herself. She'd barely even felt a whisper of power, despite _holding_ the coat at the time. That was a level of skill and precision she wouldn't have for a _long_ time, given her rate of progress with her studies. She searched Carmilla's pockets, idly wondering how much of the money and other items she found actually _belonged_ to her girlfriend, before finding her phone. It was considerably more expensive - and advanced - than her own, but that was hardly a surprise. (She could only be grateful that she'd left it in her dorm room that morning, or it would have been ruined, too.) What was somewhat surprising was that it was still non-functional. Nothing she did would even turn it on. She held it out to Mab. "Um, forget something?"

Mab took it, holding it between thumb and finger and looking at it from multiple angles, features absent of any recognition. "And this item would be...?"

Laura smothered a grin as best she could. Still, this was pretty hilarious, as far as she was concerned: The almighty Queen of Winter, stumped by something as ubiquitous as a cell phone. With the day she was having, she'd take her amusement where she could find it. "It's a cell phone. Modern technology? You, um, do know what _phones_ are, right?"

Mab shot her a withering look. "Quite. Those of Faerie have had instantaneous communication for ages upon ages. It was amusing to see the mortals first attempting to mimic that with their ferromancy - or _technology_ , as you would have it."

"Yeah, well, with cell phones, video chat, and the like, I think we might just have caught up."

Her expression shifted to amusement. "'We'?" she echoed. "Do you still truly count yourself among them?"

"Well, until or unless I fully embrace my sidhe heritage - which is not something _anyone's_ ever even casually mentioned how to do - I kind of _am_ mortal, aren't I?"

"Hmm, true. And should you desire to Choose, your mother could easily show you - as could I, for that matter. If you approach your mother on this, it might be... difficult for you to make the choice with her around, and _not_ end up taking on the mantle of Princess."

Because the Princess wasn't a mortal. "Just choosing that without taking the mantle wouldn't really give me much beyond a big glaring weakness for a while, though, would it? Not in time to do any good, at any rate."

"It would not, no."

A direct question and a direct answer. Would wonders never cease? "The whole mantle thing... It's got me thinking about something Maeve said about the dean, and how she's not what she once was."

"Does it?"

"Because those statues in her office and home... I mean, is that sort of thing even _possible_? Because vampires... They do have to start out human, don't they?"

"Or close enough to human so as to make no difference." Her power briefly ghosted over Carmilla's phone, apparently undoing the water damage, though once she took it back, Laura still couldn't get it to work. It might just have needed charging at that point, she mused. "There _are_ ways to transfer mantles, as I'm sure you've learned by now. In such an instance as the one you are proposing, however, unless it was being done by the ruler of the pantheon in question - and even then he might well require aid - the only other real possibility would involve a set of extremely bizarre and unlikely circumstances that only occur once every three thousand years."

Laura started, realizing Mab had also discreetly alluded to her other sister's fate. She didn't know much about Hazel beyond that she had been the last Summer Princess, and had died at some point in or just before 1904. She didn't bother asking for details, knowing she wouldn't get them. Not about whatever cyclical event or circumstances were involved, not about who or what had killed Hazel (but clearly hadn't been able to take the mantle, as Josie couldn't have lamented not taking it from her mother otherwise), and not about whether the dean _had_ been who Laura thought she had. "So... what _happened_ to that particular mantle, then? Who _did_ take it from her?" A pause. "You know, theoretically." Because if that person - assuming it _was_ a person, and not just some... confluence of events - opposed the dean in such a fashion, they sounded like someone she wouldn't mind getting to know.

"That, I believe, would be a very useful set of questions."

She had to strangle an impulse to pelt Mab in the head with Carmilla's phone. "I don't suppose you might want to give me a very useful set of answers?"

Rather than the amused smirk she'd expected, Mab stepped closer, gravely telling her, "Knowledge like _that_ I cannot simply give you, niece. And acquiring it would cost more than you have to offer."

Given what they were talking about, that wasn't a huge surprise. "Right. Well..." She looked at the phone still clutched in her hand. "You know, given the rapidly advancing pace of technology these days, as well as how widespread it is around the globe, being so unaware of it could serve as a fairly large detriment in your understanding of and dealings with humans," she began casually.

Mab eyed her.

"I _could_ help you with that," she suggested innocently. "You know, for a price." It was _so_ satisfying to finally turn that around on Mab.

"While that could potentially be helpful, that would not be nearly equal to the worth of your father's debt," Mab replied, eyes narrowed.

"I know." She'd just been trying not to think about that, for the time being. "But... I might want to visit Josie's resting place, sometime."

The Winter Queen considered that, then inclined her head in agreement. "I find that acceptable."

"Okay." That was one thing, anyway. "Just to clarify... If I do become the Summer Princess, that will count as paying off my Dad's debt?" She didn't really want to do it at all, but given what was at stake... Well, she needed to at least ask, and this was the only time she was sure Carmilla wouldn't overhear and start asking questions she wasn't ready to even think about, yet, let alone answer.

"That wouldn't be why you'd end up taking it up, though, would it?"

"Doesn't matter. It's why _you_ want me to, in order to restore balance. Well, that won't be happening until you agree to forgive his debt, and I think having a Summer Princess is worth more to you than one man." Regardless of how _Laura_ felt. "You're all about logic and reason, right? Well, this is as 'reasonable' as I'm ever going to get on this subject."

Mab simply looked at her for a very long moment, possibly a full minute or more. Then, slowly, she started to smile. "Maeve was correct about one thing: you would certainly make for a worthy Summer Princess. Very well, then. Once you have taken up the mantle, he will be released from his debt."

"And still be breathing?" Because there were a number of ways to be 'released from a debt', weren't there?

Her smile widened. "Oh, very good," she murmured. "Indeed. He will be alive and unharmed, with his debt forgiven. On that you have my word."

Oddly, she simultaneously felt massive relief and incredible tension. She had a fair idea of what a Queen's word meant - though, really, any fae who gave you their word would be good for it, as far as she knew - but that meant that, well, she might well have to do it. To take up the mantle. If she didn't... Everything that happened to her Dad, to Perry, to the other sacrifices, both now and in the future... It would all be her fault.

How could she be so selfish? Was her own happiness worth _that much_?

No. Of course it wasn't.

"I presume, based on your words, that my sister has been speaking of me to you?" Mab asked, distracting Laura from the downward spiral of her thoughts.

She gladly seized onto that. "A little, anyway." She paused, then randomly blurted out, "Did you really set up a certification process for, well, evil villainesses and such?"

"I'll have a copy sent to you," the Winter Queen said, amused.

"Um, yay?" There was something else she wanted to ask about, but somehow, she didn't think she'd get an answer. Of course, she had plenty of time to kill, and nothing to lose by asking anyway. "Why aren't you two speaking?"

To her lack of surprise, Mab didn't say anything. The look of lingering sadness on her face before she turned to stare out over the water, however, was definitely unexpected.

Laura shook her head. What could possibly have _happened_ to spark that level of dysfunction, and for so long? She didn't get it, but trying to guess - and figure out who else she could ask about this - was at least something else to think about beyond worrying about how Carmilla was doing down in the water.

She just needed Carm to come back safely. As soon as she possibly could. If she did end up taking on the mantle, she didn't know how much time she and Carmilla would have left together before she had to leave for Faerie.

She didn't want to waste any of it.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

It occurred to Carmilla, two or three minutes into her descent, that she should have left her boots behind, as well. Possibly asked Laura to conjure her up a pair of swim fins, or something. She had the strength and speed to compensate, true, but it would have made things easier.

She probably should also have asked for a sheath or case or something to put the sword in, once she had it. Ah, well. She'd just have to be careful. Going back up for anything that wasn't absolutely necessary would suggest weakness. That she was afraid. Not to Laura, who was obviously unhappy about sending her off alone to retrieve the Blade to begin with, but to Mab. Carmilla might not care what the Winter Queen thought of her, but that would also reflect poorly on Laura, since Carmilla was acting as her champion in this matter, and that wasn't acceptable. Whatever she wound up choosing, it was extremely unlikely, given who her mother was, that Laura would ever manage to be _entirely_ free of Faerie. Image was important, especially when it came to the ruling class. That was one thing she remembered from her past as a Countess.

She had to admit, though, the world of nobility that she'd been born into was a lot more boring than the realm of Fae politics. Had she known what she was missing, she might have appreciated that boredom more than she had.

If she'd had any real interest in diving or underwater species, Lake Baikal would have been a treasure trove for her. Even distorted by the water, her ears could pick up the swishing of countless fish moving through the water, and something larger - probably a nerpa, the only exclusively freshwater seal on the planet, if the research Laura had done was to be believed (she'd also said it existed there much to the confusion of evolutionary biologists, who had no idea when or just how the animals came to be so far from the open ocean) - off in the distance. Nothing nearby that would present any kind of threat, though. The pure, crystal clear water (thanks to unique underwater reefs of living sponges that filtered bacteria and algae from the water, and supported a great diversity of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and other invertebrates... and holy crap was she _not_ going to be letting on to Laura that she'd actually retained all that information she'd been babbling on about, nor would she say anything about how the reason she remembered it was that she'd been paying so much attention because _Laura_ had been saying it) provided exceptional visibility, to the point where, several minutes into her dive, she still didn't need a light.

On the other hand, she was pretty sure she wasn't even halfway there, and the amount of available light _was_ steadily declining. A human diver would have needed to turn on the flashlight already.

She was also pretty sure that trying to swim while holding onto a freaking trident was slowing her down a little. If she didn't need it to fend off the guardian creature on the way back up, she was leaving the damn thing on the bottom. Let future divers try and figure out what it was doing there. Between that, the ruins of whatever temple or display the sword was housed, and the remains of the guardian creature (assuming something else wasn't lurking down there that would completely devour it), Russian scientists would have all kinds of fun in store, wouldn't they?

At that point in her swim, the only thing she really needed any light for was to see the arrowhead hanging from her neck. It was supposed to be telling her which way to go, but so far hadn't given her any indication as to _how_ it would do that. It wasn't tugging her in a certain direction, it wasn't glowing, she wasn't being given any kind of intuition as to which way to go. Hopefully, once she got close enough, that would change, or this was just going to be a colossal exercise in wasting time.

She continued her descent.

The worst part about being along under the water, nothing else to really look at or listen to, was that there was nothing to distract her from her thoughts. Her fears. She knew dwelling on it wouldn't help anything, but she couldn't help but imagine her mother's reaction, should they fail in their efforts. That particular fear, her mother's wrath, was nothing new, though no less unwelcome for all that it was familiar. What _was_ new, though, was worrying about what Titania might do, should she survive and Laura not. For that matter, Mab likely wouldn't be thrilled, either, though she'd be the least upset of the three. She'd also be Carmilla's most likely chance for continued survival in such a situation, and would certainly know it.

Well, easy way around that: if Laura didn't make it, she wouldn't, either.

Conversely, there was also the other side of the equation. What would happen if they _won_? After centuries of living under her mother's control, of being used in her supernatural con game, the idea of being _free_... It was oddly terrifying, in a way. Exhilarating, yet frightening. She had no idea what she would do, in such a case, never having dared to let herself _really_ think about such a thing. Yet now, with the help of the Summer Queen's daughter and the unholy sword she was on her way to retrieve, it might actually, really happen. To be released from the psychological prison she'd been in ever since being raised from the grave, to be able to choose her own destiny... She could barely conceive of such a thing. But she wanted it. She wanted it so badly...

Also, doing this, freeing the souls trapped in the Light, would go a long way toward undoing a number of the things she'd done over the years. It wouldn't be enough to redeem her, not by a long shot - not that she was at all interested in such things, of course - but it would at least be a start.

Trying to wrench her thoughts out of the spirals they were in only brought up another question: Why was she doing this at all? Retrieving the Blade of Hastur made perfect sense when that had been the only way they had to win, but everyone from Kheelan to Mab to Laura herself had heavily implied that, were she to become the Summer Princess, she would have the power and authority to defeat the dean and save the girls all on her own. So why refuse and go after the sword anyway, especially after learning that Mab was basically holding Papa Hollis hostage? If even Maeve could apparently drop in whenever she felt like it... Well, it just didn't make any sense, to her. There had to be something she was missing, but if so, Laura didn't seem to want to tell her. On the other hand, she hadn't actually asked, and Laura had so far shown that, even if she didn't _like_ talking about something, she would usually answer direct questions. Even as far back as that first night that everything had begun changing, when she'd come back from the Summer Society in tears, that had been the case.

So she'd get the sword, they'd go back to Silas, and she'd ask. Of course, even there, her imagination kept serving up worrying possibilities, like Princess Laura being forced into an arranged marriage (really, there was no other way she'd be having children of her own). Or Titania deciding that her collecting the sword and giving Laura a way out of having to accept the mantle meant she should be barred from Laura's presence forever. Or that whoever had appointed her mother to be the Gate's caretaker might not appreciate their actions, and would be coming for her. (Well, coming for them, really, but they'd only be getting to Laura over her rotting corpse.)

She kept heading down.

Some time later - it was difficult to keep track of time with nothing to judge by - the water was finally dark enough that even she needed a light. She decided to use one of the glow sticks Laura had given her first, so as to minimize the risk of alerting the guardian creature she was there until she had to... assuming she ever found the right area to go to.

As if responding to the thought - and really, given that it was a magical item Laura had conjured up from the ether, who knew? - the arrowhead began glowing with a barely detectable light... and abruptly yanked her _hard_ off to the side. She flailed a bit before adjusting to the new direction, diagonally down. Close to where she'd been going, but not quite close enough, it seemed. The arrowhead kept straining at the end of the chain regardless of how fast she swam, as if eager to complete its purpose. As she got closer, she began to make out details. She was close to the bottom in this particular part of the lake - not even close to the deepest part of it - but evidently that wasn't quite low enough, as the necklace was tugging her toward a chasm in the lakebed. That helped explain why none of the people who'd mapped out the lake had ever found the cavern the sword was housed in, she decided. Even up close, the chasm was hard to pick out from the rest of the lake bottom. It was about four feet wide, and nine feet long - more of a hole than a chasm, really. As for how deep it was...

She settled down on the silty ground near the edge, tucking the arrowhead under her shirt to keep it out of her way. She didn't know if she'd need it on the way back or not, so she couldn't just let it go on its way, just in case. She took out another glow stick, bending and shaking it until it was glowing bright green as well, then held it out and let it fall into the hole. As she'd expected, it did open up into a large cavern a few feet down from the opening. The glow stick kept sinking further and further, telling her it was a _very_ large cavern.

Then something swam between the stick and her, blocking the light.

She tensed, making sure her own glow stick was far enough back to not attract the attention of anything down there, then chanced leaning over the edge to try and get a good look at it.

It was circling the light, which was somewhat helpful. It wasn't bright enough to give even her many details, but she was getting the impression of tentacles - lots of them - and that it was larger than she'd hoped it would be. For a moment, she seriously debated just arming one of her grenades and dropping it down, having _zero_ inclination to go play with the possible hentai tentacle monster. (She also decided living with the tiny gay nerd that was her girlfriend was starting to affect her, somewhat.) What stopped her was the possibility that it wouldn't go off close enough to kill it, but would expand the opening, letting the thing loose. Well, she had some time to think of a plan, right? After all, it wasn't like the thing knew there was someone-

The ground underneath her shook from a tremendous impact as the creature slammed into the ceiling of the cavern.

Okay, so it was smart enough to figure out where the glow stick (that clearly hadn't managed to hold its interest for very long) had come from. That didn't mean-

A tentacle shot up through the opening, flailing around, and she had to swiftly duck and throw herself away from the hole to avoid it.

Fine. So it was smarter than it looked. That only made sense, as the Cult of Hastur wouldn't have put a brainless creature on guard duty. She waited patiently until the creature gave up, withdrawing its tentacle... then waited longer, in case it was trying to trick _her_. After a seeming eternity, she judged it safe to risk another look. Sure enough, the creature had moved away, dropping down to examine the glow stick. It was big, alright. Seeing it in profile told her it was a good fourteen meters long, if not bigger, and fairly massive. It looked like a squid, which was something of a relief in that it wasn't some artificial or otherworldly creature, whose strengths and vulnerabilities she would have no way of guessing. Admittedly, they'd probably altered it somewhat - there was no other way it could have survived so long down there, unless it could somehow lure fish down to eat - but there were limits to how far that could go before it stopped looking like the creature it had started out as.

Still, she wasn't going to be killing that thing with a trident. Or a harpoon, if she'd had one. However, if it had been interested in a glow stick...

She pulled off the arrowhead necklace, unclasped it, slipped the arrowhead off the slender silvery chain and tucked it into her pants pocket, then grabbed the flashlight and one of the grenades and used the chain to bind them together. She turned on the light, pulled the pin on the grenade, tossed them down the hole, and started swimming away as quickly as she could manage. Five seconds later there was a loud _boom_ , and she could feel the vibration of it in the water. Had she actually been watching to make sure the squid was close enough, she knew, the shockwave would have caught her right in the face. Even for a vampire, that would have been... unhealthy.

She waited a full minute, watching the now expanded hole, but nothing came out of it. She was sure that, had the squid lived, it would have been swarming angrily through that opening, looking for vengeance. She swam back to the edge, but there was still nothing.

Well, she hadn't come all that way to just sit around all day. Figuratively crossing her fingers, she swam down into the cavern. It was every bit as huge as she'd expected, though the now cloudy water kept her from taking in any details. She thought she saw squid pieces mixed in with the rock fragments drifting down through the murk to settle on the cavern floor. She took the arrowhead from her pocket... then nearly lost it as it tugged _hard_ off in one direction. Apparently, it was just as enthusiastic as the young woman who'd created it. Another minute of swimming and she was at the cavern wall. There, surrounded by ornate carvings and inscriptions, was the Blade of Hastur.

She grimaced, recoiling from it and slipping the arrowhead back into her pocket so it wouldn't bring her crashing into the thing. (Why the pull stopped when it was shielded by her clothing, she had no idea, and didn't care, as long as it kept doing so.) The blade of it was like... a hollow in reality, eating what little light the glowstick in her hand was putting off. She grabbed several more and activated them, wanting to make _sure_ she had enough light to work. (The handle of the sword wasn't anything too special: a pommel, hilt, and crossguard with its terminals bent upward toward the blade, all golden in color. She couldn't even make out any inscriptions on it.) She tossed one of the glow sticks at the wall - _not_ at the Blade - and watched it bounce off an invisible wall before she reached out and caught it. Okay, then, that would presumably be the outer layer of the protections. She took the talisman Mab had provided them with out of her other pocket, staring at it for a moment as she tried to figure out what to _do_ with the thing. Mab hadn't said, and neither she nor Laura had thought to ask. If Mab wound up screwing things up for them by having omitted one tiny little detail...

Well, she'd do nothing. Mab was a Faerie Queen - if she did something you didn't like, that was really just too bad. With a mental sigh, she extended the cleansing talisman toward the outer layer of the protections, holding it against them. The talisman felt warm in her hand - easily noticable against the chill of the water - for several seconds, then there was an almost subaudible sound and the talisman, no longer impeded by a barrior, impacted the wall. There was a painfully bright flash of light - though she'd been looking at the Blade right then, so she only noticed it out of the corner of her eye; maybe its light-eating quality was good for something, after all - and she felt a sharp jolt in her hand. She let go of the now ruined talisman, glad _it_ had touched the wall before she had, and watched its blackened form sink out of sight.

Right, then, time for the inner layer. This time, at least, she had a better idea of what to do. Pulling out the crystal with the oddly crablike legs Laura had given her, she gripped it and drove the legs into the rockface. There was a much smaller flash as it made contact, a sort of humming sound in her head, and the crystal began glowing. She tentatively poked at the wall again with another glow stick, relieved when all she was met with was the dull thump of plastic hitting rock. She pulled the crystal's legs free of the rock, slipping it into a pocket on her diving vest because she didn't want to chance the charge slipping back into the rock - Laura would have warned her of the danger, unlike Mab, but that was only if _she_ knew it was a possibility - and who knew if the thing would come in handy? Then, after a moment's hesitation, she set about prying the Blade of Hastur free of the rock.

It was wedged in there pretty good, but she took the tip of her pocketknife - taking a moment to be thankful the girl she'd stolen her pants from some time ago had been in the habit of carrying one - and jammed it into the space between hilt and rock. It took a bit of work, but she was able to gain enough leverage to grab onto the hilt, at which point pulling the sword free was easy.

She let the trident she'd been carrying fall away, confident there would be no further guardians, and nothing else in the lake required it. Sword in hand, she exited the cavern, then began the lengthy swim back to the surface.

* * *

Laura hadn't meant to effectively bug her girlfriend, really she hadn't.

She hadn't intended the arrowhead she'd given Carmilla to serve as a tracking device, but she could nevertheless tell when it had stopped descending... and when it began heading back up toward the surface.

Carm had the sword, then. More than that, she was okay, which was a much bigger relief to Laura. The grenades were explosives, yes, but they were also conjured items - _her_ conjured items - so she could tell when one of them had been set off, ceasing to exist. (Seriously, she _hadn't_ meant to bug Carmilla. Lesson learned for next time, she supposed.) If Carmilla was coming up with the sword, that meant that it was time to start developing the next stage of their plan.

And she hoped Carmilla had some ideas, because she was coming up blank.

She and Mab hadn't spoken since she'd asked her question. Honestly, she wasn't sure why her aunt was still there at all. This was longer than her mother hung around, and she _wanted_ to spend time with Laura. It wasn't likely the Winter Queen was hanging around for moral support, either. In case Laura wanted to bargain for a ride home? Possible, but in that case, she could just summon Kheelan, who was already under orders to help her. She could ask, but past experience suggested she wouldn't get an answer. Of course, since she literally had nothing else to do... "Are you waiting for something?"

"In a sense."

"...would you like to tell me what it is?"

Mab considered that, then said, "Yes."

Laura was honestly surprised by the answer, and waited for her aunt to continue. And waited. And waited. Finally, she sighed. Apparently, for all that she'd like to, Mab wasn't going to _actually_ tell her the answer. "Is it okay that we're just... standing around like this, out in the open?" She'd been too busy worrying about Carmilla to think about it, before.

"We are not being observed."

They weren't? She'd have thought that something like a Faerie Queen popping up so close to the resting place of a weapon like the Blade of Hastur would have attracted all manner of attention, unless... _Oh_. "You're blocking anyone from seeing any of this?"

Mab didn't turn to look at her, but Laura could just make out her lips pulling up into a smile. "As I said, given enough time, you can be quite perceptive."

But why would she...? Part of whatever agreement she'd made with Josie? She had to wonder what her sister could have offered, given she was so close to death at the time. Well, Josie had somehow gotten her hands on one of Maeve's necklaces, maybe she'd similarly had something in her possession Mab had wanted. She knew she'd never get a straight answer if she asked about _that_ , though. And speaking of whom... "Yeah, well, I _perceive_ that Maeve isn't going to be too happy if she gets the idea that I'm even _thinking_ about taking on the mantle of Princess."

Mab sighed. "She would not. The threat of your mother's wrath would keep her from trying anything overt, but even while Hazel lived, my daughter resented her duties. It is no accident that I have not had any other children."

Because if Maeve thought Mab was preparing a replacement... "She'd do that to her own sister?" Laura whispered.

"It is not unknown, in either Court. There can be only one Princess, after all. Power is ever sweet, is it not?"

" _No._ " Laura looked horrified. "If I had a sister who wanted it, I'd happily let her take it."

Mab turned to consider her. "You would certainly make for the most _unique_ Princess Summer has had in ages," she finally decided.

"Well... Maybe that would be good for them."

"Perhaps so."

"Can you tell me why my Dad made that bargain with you?" she asked. Since Mab was right there, and in a fairly talkative mood... "Because with that geas you put on him, I doubt _he_ could tell me."

"Why ask a question when you already know the answer?"

Laura took a deep breath, striving to remain calm. "I don't have any siblings," she pointed out. "And your daughter couldn't have touched me if I'd been with my Mom."

"Mayhaps. Mayhaps not."

"She would have finally had someone to pass the mantle of Princess to, which would have made you happy, so you would have been motivated to help keep me safe."

"True."

"Then what did you say to make him so freaked out he'd agree to the terms you laid out?"

"I told you, I did not-"

"You said you didn't compel him to enter into a bargain, or threaten him with reprisal for refusing," Laura interrupted. "You didn't say you didn't go to him, or talk to him unprompted, or string together a bunch of unrelated facts to make it seem like something horrible was going to happen to me if he didn't bargain with you."

"No, I didn't."

Laura counted backward from ten in her head. In Spanish. "I remember my Mom being around when I was young," she said slowly. "Something changed. What was it?" When Mab didn't say anything, she added, "Look, just take the geas off my Dad so _he_ can answer my questions, if you're not able to."

Mab looked at her for a long moment, then asked, "Why do you seek the Blade of Hastur?"

" _Now_ who's asking what they already know?" Laura muttered. When Mab's intent look didn't let up, she sighed and said, "Because I need it to challenge the dean, stop the sacrifices, and free the past victims." Logic chains began cascading throughout her brain. "Elsie being taken wasn't an accident, was it?"

"No, it was not."

"A test," she realized slowly. "A deliberate, calculated insult, to see how Mom reacted. But from what Carm told me, _Cassandra_ was the one who picked out who the victims were, even if the dean made the list to choose from."

"Had that list been of Lilith's making, several names that appear on it would not have been present."

"So she has people who do the research for her." She paused as something occurred to her. "Danny told me Perry had been under consideration to be invited to the Summer Society, when she was a freshman. Should she have been on the list at all? I mean, I know she's not a mage..."

"She should not have, no." Why that was, Mab didn't seem to feel like sharing.

"And... how would, er, Lilith have reacted if she were to learn of me, when I was still young and defenseless, and my Mom trying to keep me a secret?" Because posting a guard wouldn't have let her do that, which meant Laura would have been an open target while with her Dad. Though, again, why Titania wouldn't take her - or both of them - back to Faerie with her, she had no idea.

"How do you think?"

"And... if Maeve wouldn't want to do anything overt, Lilith would have even more reason to be discreet..."

"They are both quite well acquainted with the mortal world."

What did that have to- Wait. "One or the other might have... what, hired a hitman?"

"Humanity is outside the purview of the Queens, as you yourself discerned."

So Mab had gone to her father and convinced him to let her hide them away. She hadn't told her sister, presumably to let her grief be genuine. Laura wasn't sure she could forgive her for that, even if she did understand the reasoning. She didn't think she fully understood things, but that was nothing new, and a dull throb was threatening to start up in her head - par for the course when dealing with the Fae. On the plus side, Carm was getting closer to the surface, so they should be able to get moving before too much longer. "But you're keeping a close eye on your daughter to keep her from doing something like that now, though, right?"

"Perhaps that is a subject you should speak with your instructor about."

Laura blinked. Was she talking about Kheelan? Aside from her lessons, he was there in case she needed help with anything and to keep Titania informed of her progress (among other things). "Nobody said anything about him playing bodyguard, as well."

"This surprises you?"

She didn't know if Mab meant the idea that she might have a bodyguard, or her mother (and Kheelan) not telling her everything, but the answer would be the same, either way. "No, not really," she sighed.

Before she could say anything else there was a splashing near the edge of the platform as Carmilla broke the surface and began hauling herself onto it. Laura took two steps toward her, then stopped dead as the sheer _wrongness_ of the sword clutched in Carmilla's hand hit her. She quickly conjured up a steel weapon's case, flipping it open to display the padded interior, which she'd created indentations in precisely to the sword's dimensions. Needing no further hints - and looking glad to be rid of the thing - Carmilla carefully placed it inside, then shut and locked the case.

Once the sword was safely contained - and the steel should keep even any Fae from picking up on what they had - Laura nearly knocked Carmilla back into the water when she all but tackled her into a hug. She was still rather damp, herself, so she was hardly getting more wet, and she _needed_ this. "How'd it go?" she asked into Carmilla's neck.

Carm was hardly pushing her away. "Pretty well, all in all. Blew up this big-ass squid thing."

"We can look it up later." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, then reluctantly pulled back so that they could both stand up. Something occurred to her, and she took Carmilla's goggles off, then gave her a lingering kiss... and magically dried them both off at the same time. Carmilla didn't even notice what she'd done until she'd stepped away again. Mab inclined her head ever-so-slightly, silently commending her for the precision and discretion she'd displayed - there hadn't even been a whisper of power in the air for a mage to have sensed, even only a few feet away. She rested a hand on the glowing crystal sticking out of one of Carmilla's vest pockets, giving her an inquisitive look, which Carmilla returned with an expression that said, 'Why do you think I brought it back?'. Smiling at her, Laura took the crystal, then turned toward Mab. "Think you'd have any use for this?" she asked, holding it up.

"Some little use, perhaps. Energy of that type is hardly something I cannot create myself with ease. What would you want in exchange for it?"

"Not much. Just a ticket back to Silas." She looked at Carmilla. "I can get us back to my Dad's house to pick up JP easy enough, but I'm not good enough at this to manage the rest of the trip myself, yet. I don't wanna summon Kheelan or my Mom until we're back at the Summer Society, safe and sound." She couldn't think how else to reduce the risk of her Mom panicking (presuming that Mab had been blocking her scrying, as well) and incinerating Carmilla on general principle. Being at the Summer Society should, she hoped, help calm things down. Looking back at Mab, she added, "Since that would hardly be something I'm not physically capable of doing myself, that seems like a fair trade to me."

Mab nodded her head, not in a friendly manner, precisely - though there was a slight smile lurking at the edges of her lips - but more along the lines of the salute one gave to an opponent at a fencing match. "I would agree." She stepped closer and took the crystal, handing Laura what looked like an ice chip about the size of a quarter. She paused, then added, "A final piece of advice, my niece: while it is good to see you are learning the proper way to establish bargains and maintain balance, I would suggest you refrain from doing so unless absolutely necessary." A slight pause. "Particularly where my daughter is concerned. I do not believe you would be willing to part with what she is likely to ask for."

Given that Laura honestly hadn't planned on doing so - really, she'd be fine if Maeve just never showed up again for any reason - that was fine with her. Still, curiosity compelled her to ask, "What might she want?"

"Presuming she could arrange for you to require a suitably critical item or piece of information she possessed? Your lover's heart."

Laura blinked. "Well, that's kind of taken, so-" Her mind abruptly switched tracks without changing gears. "-oh, God, you're being literal, aren't you?"

Mab nodded once. "She has a collection."

For a long moment, Laura could only stare at her in horror. Maeve... collected people's _hearts_? "I know Winter is dark and cold and such, but... Your daughter is _messed up_!" she blurted.

Mab gave her a level look... and didn't argue.

"Seriously, get that girl _all of the therapy_." She shook her head. "Knowing when to seek help isn't a weakness, so she shouldn't worry about that." Or, rather, Mab shouldn't worry about ordering her to go. She just couldn't come out and say _that_.

Mab continued looking at her for a long moment, then said, "I would suggest you complete your business and return to your school with all haste. Time has not stood still while you were here, and the time of the sacrifice draws ever nearer." There was a loud crack of sound, a muted flash, and then Mab was gone, a cloud of mist in the precise shape of her body in her place for a moment before it began to dissipate.

"They always have to have the last word," Laura muttered.

The trip to her house was a lot smoother this time, if only because she wasn't knocking the two of them through the passage in a panicked lunge. JP was glad to see them, and they hadn't been gone long enough for her Dad to be home from work, which meant there was at least one awkward conversation they'd get to skip. She did need to talk to him, she knew. She just... couldn't handle that right then, on top of everything else. "How'd it go?" she asked.

'Lacking a time frame made things somewhat more difficult, and you're not the only Laura Hollis to have ever been born in Canada,' JP told her.

"Not that I necessarily was," she noted. "Somehow, I _seriously_ doubt my Mom had me in a human hospital."

'Most likely not,' JP agreed. 'But I did find one birth record that matched all of the criteria you provided me.' He pulled it up on screen.

She peered at it, drinking in all the details. This was more than she'd ever known about where she came from, as a child. Getting to know her Mom again had helped fill that aching void significantly, but she'd still been missing information about where the other half of herself was from. "Name: Laura Marigold Hollis..." she murmured.

"Marigold?" Carmilla echoed, audibly fighting down a snicker.

Laura swatted vaguely at her, attention still focused on the screen. "Date of Birth: June 21..." She blinked. "What the hell? _**1952?**_ "

"Say _what_?" Carmilla asked, teasing instantly forgotten.

"It says I was born in 1952," Laura repeated. She almost asked JP if he was sure, but managed to stop herself. He wouldn't have shown her this unless he _knew_ it was hers. "That's how she did it," she realized. "Some kind of time travel, just taking us into Faerie and slowing time to a halt... That's how Mom lost track of me. I think I was... five or six when she supposedly died." Something else finally made sense. "That's why Dad never let me watch much of any TV," she realized. "So I wouldn't know how much it had changed, and start asking people about that."

"I'd say you were five," Carmilla decided.

Laura looked at her oddly. "Um, why?"

"Because the current version of the Unseelie Accords was finalized in 1957."


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Laura could only stare at her girlfriend in bewilderment. "You think the Queen of Winter rewrote the Unseelie Accords and made everyone sign on to them... just because of me?"

"Because of you, because of what you represented..." Carmilla shrugged. "Mother's never really kept me in the loop more than she absolutely had to, even just in terms of politics. I know the Accords had needed something of an overhaul for a while before that; 1957 was as good a time as any, I guess."

"And there was no way the Queen would have been able to use me to her political advantage or to restore the balance of Faerie if I was dead," Laura added, a kind of annoyed resignation in her voice. "Ever since I was born, I've just been a pawn in their little games."

Carmilla smiled mirthlessly. "Yeah, having been used in much the same way for the past few centuries, I get that."

"You're probably the only one I know who would." Laura shook her head. "Okay. Priorities. I can worry about whatever byzantine schemes my aunt is cooking up later; I don't have the attention to spare for tracking down and untangling the threads of _that_ kind of mess right now. JP, erase any sign you were ever here," she instructed him. Once that was done, she unplugged the flashdrive and pocketed it. "Okay," she said to Carmilla, "now we head back to school and stash the sword at the Summer Society - too many people just barge into our dorm room for me to feel comfortable having it there, even if I _didn't_ want to keep the fact that we have it a secret for now."

"Those defenses you raised should keep it hidden just fine," Carmilla agreed. "Then what?"

"Then... we try and figure out Step Two of this plan." She looked sheepish. "This whole thing was all so sudden that, well, I... kinda don't know what to do next." She paused. "Aside from maybe have a long overdue chat with Kirsch about Will, and maybe introduce JP to the Zetas." She'd kept forgetting to do that, then, after the dean's attempt to kill him, they'd been keeping his survival a secret, so she _couldn't_ do so. "We just need to make sure Will's not around."

"Maybe also figure out exactly _where_ the sacrifice takes place?" Carmilla prompted, eyebrow raised. "Won't do much good to have recovered the evil smiting sword if we don't know where to go _to_ smite the evil."

"Ah... Yeah, that'd help, too." She fought down the urge to start fidgeting. "What did your mom say about it before I got there, exactly?"

Carmilla frowned pensively, thinking. "Not much. Mostly she was just warning me. Warning me that she knew what we were up to, warning me about what the sword would do, warning me that a relationship with a Faerie Princess was doomed for more reasons than she could count..." Laura looked faintly offended there... and wasn't meeting Carmilla's eyes. Setting that aside for the moment - but definitely chalking it up as something else to worry about - she continued, "The only thing she said that sounded like it had anything to do with a location was a comment about me supposedly using the Blade of Hastur to 'strike out the light where they worship'. Which might have been a reference to my calling them a cult, for all I know."

"It would have to be," Laura agreed. "I mean, I don't think there even _is_ any kind of church on campus - which, given that it was set up by vampires, not so much a surprise."

"Well, except for the old Dudley Chapel in the Lustig B-" Her eyes widened. "The _Lustig_ Building!"

Laura had a similar expression on her face. "The same Lustig that was noted above all the other buildings that were burnt down in 1904." Her eyes grew wider still. "That was almost burnt down _again_ by the people infected by the mushroom spores! God, how did I not...? I knew they'd been trying to burn it down, but barely gave a moment's thought as to _why_! Could the fungus have _sensed_ something down there? The Greater Circle, the Deep One, something?"

"I couldn't tell you. Some reconnaissance is definitely in order, though." This was, after all, the most promising lead they'd had to the whereabouts of the missing girls yet.

"I'll say. They'd be watching for you or me if we got anywhere near there, though, and if there's anything that detects magic down there, I'd be screwed. Given the Summer Society's presence, and that even Josie needed to actively work to infiltrate whatever caverns they're in, they likely have _something_ down there that would keep me from just sneaking in while under a veil."

"The hellhounds, probably. Their senses go beyond the mere physical; they could probably sniff you out or something, even past your best veil."

"Great." Something occurred to her. "Then maybe I can use something they might encounter so often already that no one would even think anything of it."

"Such as?"

"Pixies." According to Danny, they'd even gotten into the Summer Society house sometimes, before she'd repaired and restored the defenses. Almost certainly, they were also all over the rest of the campus, she thought.

"You think they'd listen to you?"

"I think it's worth asking about." She took one last look around. They hadn't really brought anything with them - aside from the case that housed the Blade of Hastur, which Carmilla had a good grip on - so she wasn't really worried about forgetting anything. She couldn't think of anything she really needed or wanted to bring with her that she hadn't when first heading for Silas, and if they didn't take anything, her Dad might never know they'd been there. "You ready to go?"

"One thing, first," Carmilla told her, then stepped closer and pulled her into a slow, tender kiss that went on for a full three minutes.

"Um... Not that I'm complaining," Laura managed once her brain had recovered from being shorted out - inwardly, she marveled that even now, after everything else, Carmilla could still affect her like it was their very first kiss. "But, uh, what was that about?"

"Because right here, right now, it's just us," Carmilla replied. "There aren't any mothers, or missing roommates, or girls to save, or Faerie politics. It's just you and me, in love."

Laura melted... and froze. It was an odd combination, but the only way she had to describe it. Because that had been an undeniably sweet, romantic thing to say... but it was also the first time either had even referenced the 'L' word. "That's... not something that will change, no matter what Faerie politics come up," she said slowly.

"Still, seemed worth taking a moment to enjoy the relative peace."

"Not arguing."

"Good." Carmilla sighed. "It's an odd experience, running into someone whose family is even _more_ manipulative than mine," she admitted. "To my mother, I'm a pawn. To your family, I'm evidently a minor complication, at best."

"Oh, not just minor," Laura decided, smiling faintly. At Carmilla's inquisitive look, she continued, "You've been screwing up everyone's intricate plans just by being here: you've been chasing girls off instead of reeling them in for your mother, and were almost certainly _not_ supposed to develop feelings for me, let alone jump ship to help me. I mean, if your mom had planned things out there at all, she would have wanted you to try and lure me over to _her_ side, but she never even suggested such a thing, did she?" Carmilla wordlessly shook her head 'no'. "Then there's _my_ mother, who wants me to just accept my heritage and go home with her... only I wind up falling for someone who'd make me want to stay here, and she knows if she does anything to you, that'll just drive me away for good. Not to mention my aunt, who set all this up, never expecting you'd volunteer to get the one weapon that would let me get around all her scheming. I have no idea what, if anything, Maeve's up to, beyond shirking her responsibilities, but I wouldn't be surprised to learn you'd screwed up her plans somewhere along the line, too."

"...I think you're giving me too much credit."

"I don't." She shook her head. "We can debate the matter later, though. Right now, we need to get back before my Mom starts freaking out about having lost track of me again." So saying, she studied the ice chip Mab had given her - again, without any instructions - trying to figure out how to activate it. "Okay, we need to get to the Summer Society house," she told it, trying not to feel silly. "So... go!" She tossed it in front of her. It arched gently through the air, then hit the floor with a quiet clatter.

Nothing happened.

Frustration surged, but she pushed it down as best she could. Was she forgetting something? "Um... Please?" she tried.

The chip exploded, a passage springing into existence in the air above where it had laid. "Huh. I guess Dad was right; that _is_ the magic word."

The trip back to Silas was as short and uneventful as any she'd ever taken with Kheelan, but she still found it interesting to note the minor differences in technique and magic used. Indeed, it was the first instance she'd come across of Winter magic that might well have been her own. If there were some ways that even their magic could be the same... Well, it gave her hope that she and her Unseelie relatives might manage to find some common ground.

Something told her that would be important in the future.

They wound up on the Summer Society's doorstep. She wasn't sure if Mab hadn't been able to get them past the building's defenses, or if she would have just considered doing so rude, but it didn't really matter. They might not be inside the wards, but they were close enough to the building to hide them from anyone the dean might have replaced Cassandra with. That didn't mean they weren't perfectly visible to anyone nearby, though, so Laura quickly unlocked the door - she was there often enough that knocking and waiting for someone to let her in every time would be silly, so the Summers had given her a key; hell, being a princess of the Summer Court, she was probably technically a Society member from birth - and opened it, stepping inside.

A grunt of impact from behind her brought her up short, and she turned to see Carmilla taking a step backward, as if she'd just run into something. "You may need to go ahead without me," she said, rapping her knuckles against seemingly thin air.

Laura blinked, realizing she'd forgotten about the more passive defenses. "Oh, get in here," she said, tugging Carmilla forward. The wards seemed to fall away, though she knew what actually happened was more that they'd adapted themselves according to her will and added Carmilla to the list of authorized personnel. (Defenses like that, she'd learned, were the actual basis of the myth that vampires and other such creatures needed to be invited in; some human, unable to admit that there were good supernatural beings as well as bad, edited the specifics to remove any mention of magic keeping them out, instead claiming that it was the threshold of one's home that did it. No one had cared about what humanity thought enough to correct them.) She fixed her girlfriend with a serious look and said, "I'm trusting you with this. They can probably take you off the 'safe' list later if they need to, but... Well, I know you won't give them a reason to." Because if the dean found out her 'daughter' could walk right through their defenses...

"I won't." She wasn't offended that Laura felt the need to point that out. Some things did need to be stated for the record, no matter how unnecessary they might be. "I promise." And that was something she'd say to Laura or the princess in her equally.

"Good." It wasn't hard finding any of the Summers, and, as expected, they were none too happy to see Carmilla inside their house.

Especially Danny. "What is _she_ doing in here?" she asked Laura, glaring at Carmilla in a way that suggested she'd be setting her on fire the second she thought she could get away with it.

"She's here as my _guest_." She put a slight emphasis on the last word, knocking any growing hostility away. Several of the Summers took a prudent step backward, fully aware of what had happened the last time someone had even come close to breaching Hospitality in her presence. She looked at Danny, speaking solely to her as she said, "We just got back from recovering the sword, and I'd rather no one know that we have it, yet, so I'm stashing it here. I wasn't gonna just leave her standing on the doorstep alone while I was in here; that wouldn't have been safe. It _would_ have been horribly rude, though."

"I get that." Which didn't mean she liked it, just that she wouldn't argue. Changing the subject, she asked, "You managed to find it?"

"Yeah." She turned and held out a hand, and Carmilla handed over the case, not looking sorry to be rid of it. "I was thinking I could put this, ah, upstairs?"

"That... is about as secure a place as we have here," Danny agreed slowly, shooting a look at Carmilla.

For once, Carmilla felt no particular urge to needle her. "I'll wait near the door," she told Laura.

"You don't need to-"

"No, it's fine," she interrupted. "I think everyone will be happier that way, and there's no point in getting comfortable here," she said, gesturing around the living room/receiving room. "You probably won't be long, since you said there were a couple of other things you wanted to get done."

That was true enough. If or when her Mom showed up, she'd just have to make sure time was slowed to a crawl again. "Okay," she conceded. "See if you can't discreetly manage to find out exactly where Will is right now while you're waiting, maybe? It'll be easier to talk to Kirsch if we don't have to get him away from Will first."

"Yeah, about that..." Carmilla said, holding up her still dead phone.

"Oh, right." She looked around at the assembled Summers. "Anyone here know anything about using magic on technology?" A few hands tentatively went up. "Good. Someone figure out what's wrong with her phone and fix it. We've got a narrow window of opportunity, here, and I don't wanna miss it."

It wasn't until she was heading for the stairs with Danny that she realized she'd just issued her first order to the Summer Society... and that, as she'd half-expected and half-feared, they'd leapt to obey.

"How did you get the sword?" Danny asked as they headed up the stairs. Magical soundproofing was part of the building's design, so that any invading vampires wouldn't be able to hear or sense anyone even on the other side of the wall panel.

"With some help." She went on to explain everything that had happened since her first visit earlier that day for her first - and thus far only - lesson on opening passages (leaving out the more personal moments she'd shared with Carmilla, which were really no one else's business), from meeting Maeve to Cassandra's unmasking as a mole to her unexpected trip home and running into Mab, followed by Carmilla's underwater adventure. "So... yeah. Kind of a busy day," she concluded.

"I guess so," Danny agreed, surprised out of her Carmilla-induced bad mood. She paused on a landing, pulling Laura to a stop. "Are you okay?" she asked seriously.

Laura considered that. "As much as I can be," she admitted with a shrug. "All of this... It's like, I can go a while with nothing but lessons and schoolwork, then everything starts happening all at once... until it stops, and I have another stretch of boredom and leveling up. And, I mean, it's nice to have some time to eventually process everything, but that doesn't help me while I'm being bombarded with revelation after revelation, you know?"

"Yeah. And... I'm sorry. I know I wasn't helping with that while I was sulking," she admitted with a wince.

"I'm sorry, too. I swear, Danny, I honestly didn't _know_ that you hadn't noticed," Laura told her, giving her a pleading, apologetic look. "Everybody else seemed to be... I should have told you myself. Forgive me?"

It would have been easier dropkicking a puppy than saying no to Laura when she had _that_ look on her face. "Of course." Laura sighed in relief. "I just wish..."

"Yeah. Me, too."

"It does make me wonder about that email Gail sent me a while back, though."

Laura froze, not liking the sound of that for some reason - mainly that it involved Gail. "Oh?"

"Yeah." Danny's face colored slightly. "Let's just say that it involved alternate methods of, ah..." She coughed discreetly. "I thought maybe she was trying to salvage that bet."

"Oh, God, she's really trying to make this happen, isn't she?" Laura wondered, unsure if she should be shocked or horrified. Again, noting terribly unusual where Gail was concerned. "You're probably right, though."

"Laura...?" There was a slight edge of suspicion to Danny's voice.

Well, Laura decided, if she had to explain about this, why not have some fun with it? "I believe her exact words were 'embrace your inner Dominatrix'. Which I _guess_ could be related to the whole thing where people kneel or bow to me and obey my orders without question, but I think there's a slight difference between 'Princess' and 'Mistress', you know?"

Danny's jaw briefly sagged. Clearly, whatever she'd been expecting Laura to say, _that_ wasn't it. "Um... yeah."

"Gail seemed to think you'd totally be on board with this."

She made a strangled noise. "She... Oh, I am going to _kill_ that girl!"

Laura, however, was staring at her, being able to read Danny as easily as she had Gail when she'd run into her the morning after the first night she and Carmilla had spent together. "Oh, my God, she was _right_ ," she realized, surprised.

"No," Danny denied, though she had to know Laura wasn't just guessing. "That... I don't..."

"You _do_ ," Laura disagreed, not entirely sure how to feel about this development. It had been so much easier when she'd been able to just write it off as one of those things Gail said. "Wow. I would not have guessed. Maybe I should be asking Carm if she knows where to find any leather clothing my size, after all."

Danny clearly had no idea what to say to _that_. "I..."

"Tell you what," Laura said with a mischievous look. "Let's survive this whole mess first, then we can discuss the possibility of me being your Mistress. I'd have to do a whole lot of research to figure out the proper way of doing that, anyway." She continued upstairs with a bounce in her step, leaving a gobsmacked Danny behind.

No wonder Gail enjoyed doing that sort of thing to people so often. It _was_ kind of fun.

* * *

As she'd expected, her mother was waiting for her in the Council meeting room. She'd also been right that seeing her there, in the Summer Society house, clearly alive and unharmed, was helping her stay calm. Not happy, by any means, but at least not homicidal. She didn't even need to check to know that Titania had stopped time for the two of them again. "What happened?" the Summer Queen asked stiffly. And it _was_ the Queen asking; Laura was beginning to notice a distinct difference between speaking to her and talking to her Mom.

Something else to look forward to, if or when she assumed the mantle of Princess, she supposed. "You know that Guidance Counselor from my school that directed me here?"

"Yes." She'd probably gone and checked herself, only to find that de Mena guy, just as Laura had. She just hadn't bothered mentioning that to her daughter.

"It was Aunt Mab."

Titania's eyes widened, and Laura got the impression she somehow understood the whole of the situation from that one simple statement. "That... would explain a great deal," she said slowly.

"I'll bet." More than it did to her, probably. Not that she expected to be filled in on what she'd missed anytime soon. "Anyway, we got the Blade of Hastur," she continued, holding up the steel case as proof. "I'm leaving it here until we need it, so no one will know we have it." That the case was steel would, she hoped, also serve as a subtle way of saying 'hands off'. She knew better than to try issuing her mother any orders, after all.

Titania looked at the case, lips thinned, saying nothing.

"I know what it does," Laura added, tone sharpening slightly. "Using the Blade, I mean. Maeve told me."

"Then you understand why you cannot use it," Titania said evenly, transferring her stare from the case to Laura.

"And the fact that you want Carmilla to do so instead?" Laura pressed hotly. "I get that you don't like her, but-"

"But nothing," Titania interrupted. "You do not know even a fraction of the things she has done in her time, my little dahlia. As I said, she has much to atone for, and _much_ to prove - to herself, as much as anyone else."

That drew Laura up short. She'd never really thought about it, but she did get the feeling, sometimes, that Carmilla didn't think she was quite good enough for Laura, no matter how many times Laura assured her that she was. She doubted that her mother had been thinking of Carmilla's state of mind or her well-being, either when she'd originally made that statement to Kheelan or now, but that didn't mean it wasn't true. "I don't want anything to happen to her," she said softly. "I don't... I don't think I could stand that."

"What does or does not happen to the former Countess of Karnstein is up to you, Laura."

"I know." She hesitated, then, for the first time, asked, "How... How does it work, anyway? The whole... passing of the mantle thing? You've never said."

"It is not terribly complicated," Titania replied, speaking as if this were just another question, and not something she'd been wanting to happen for over a century. Laura kind of appreciated that, in a way. "There is, as you know by now, a strong magical connection between parents and children - the blood connection is the deepest known to magic. Should you request it, I can make use of that to transfer the mantle of Summer Princess to you." She paused a long moment, then admitted, "I cannot promise it would be painless. Accepting knowledge and power on such a scale as that..."

_Would hurt like hell,_ Laura mentally finished. Somehow, that didn't surprise her at all. Nothing came free, especially with the Fae. "How long would I need to adapt before I would be at a level that could beat the dean? Minimum?"

Titania considered it. "That is not as simple of a question to answer as you would like it to be," she began.

"It never is," Laura noted.

That elicited a brief, sad smile. "I know. In any event, there are a number of factors that would affect the answer. As Princess, you would have the authority to issue Challenges. As such, the Summer Society would be able to assist you - as would any other students you allowed along, given that this _does_ concern them - which would keep you from waiting long enough to be able to handle them all yourself. The sword you just recovered would also make a difference in that. Additionally, I cannot say how quickly or easily you would be able to adapt the knowledge to suit your needs. It could take anywhere from hours to days. If need be, though, I could speed that time up for you, relative to the rest of the world." As she was doing now, obviously.

"I'm not... ready to make that decision, yet," Laura said, though it was only a matter of _days_ until the sacrifice at the end of the term... which was also when her papers were due, a part of her mind noted, completely off-topic. At least Kheelan's sometimes drill sergeant-esque method of teaching, combined with her own desire to always try and give her best effort in whatever she did (as well as not make her mother, Danny, or anyone at the Summer Society look bad), meant she was actually all caught up there - except for her journalism project, of course, but Professor Cochrane understood that she _couldn't_ be finished with that until the new moon, one way or another, without seriously compromising her journalistic integrity, so she'd allowed a slight extension, with the understanding that she'd email the professor everything the first minute she was able to.

"I understand," Titania told her, and she no doubt did. Giving up everything she knew and loved, everything she knew about herself...? Granted, it might not be _that_ bad, but it was still a _**huge**_ decision to make. "When you have decided, one way or the other, you have but to call me." With that, she was gone, leaving Laura alone.

With a huge decision to make.

* * *

"Well, I've got good news and bad news," Carmilla said by way of greeting when she got back downstairs and headed for the front door. (A rather flustered Danny had escorted her back down from the Council's meeting room, blushing furiously any time she came at all close to meeting Laura's gaze.) "Will's apparently in the dean's office, helping clean up Cassandra's mess."

Presuming that was the good news - Kirsch wouldn't be anywhere around for that, meaning he was wide open for a long overdue warning about his best bud - she asked, "So what's the bad news? And what was wrong with your phone, by the way?"

"The battery shorted out or something, I don't know. The bad news is, Kirsch is missing."

Laura blinked. "What do you mean, 'missing'?"

"Missing, as in, nowhere to be found. Adjective, (of a person) absent from a place, especially home, and of unknown whereabouts."

"Wiseass," she grumbled. "Do we have any idea _why_ he might be missing? He doesn't exactly fit the profile of all the other missing people, after all."

"True," Carmilla agreed. "From what I've been able to put together, the Puppy evidently stumbled across Will having a conversation he should _not_ have been overhearing. That Gary guy put together enough to ask Will some questions he shouldn't have, looking to help, and Kirsch happened to be close enough to hear them. Naturally, he confronted Will, going on about bros and honor and loyalty and whatever, until they were forced to knock him out and take him with them just to keep him quiet."

"Who were you talking to, anyway?" Because that was a bit more detailed than she'd have expected from just quizzing a few of her former study buddies.

"Casper, by way of the Mouse next door."

Rose had overheard them? That made sense, she supposed. In all the excitement, she'd forgotten they had their own ghostly spy on their side. "Did she see where they went?"

"Apparently, she lost track of them when they passed too close to the Library. From the way they were heading, though, I'd say we were right about the Lustig."

"And given all the spirits on campus, there will no doubt be something set up to keep any of them from getting too close."

"Wouldn't want to overfeed the fish, either," Carmilla noted.

That was something Laura hadn't even considered, and didn't especially want to. "Right. So, revised plan: we head to the Zetas first and introduce them to JP. Then, while he brings them up to speed, we can go whistle up some pixies and ask them to scout the Lustig's basement, or whatever." She pulled open the door. "Come on, we don't have much time."

There was never enough time.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Laura had never actually been to - or even near - the Zeta House, before.

That wasn't really surprising, given that it was an all-male fraternity, and one full of dudebros dedicated to 'protecting the hotties on campus 7.5 or higher' at that. (It was kind of flattering, she supposed, that she'd made that list even before her faerie heritage had begun fully manifesting... and she couldn't but idly wonder if that, as well as her relationship with Carmilla, had bumped whatever her score had been up at all.) Well, they'd _said_ protecting the **co-eds** that were 7.5 or higher, though she suspected they weren't quite as dedicated to safeguarding the _boys_ of Silas as they were the girls. (Though, if they did offer their protection to the boys at all, she had to wonder who was judging _their_ "Hotness Rating", or whatever they called it.)

Much as with the Summers, though, it looked a lot more... normal than she'd been expecting.

Not that she'd expected any supernatural trappings, or anything - if they'd had anything like that, Danny would have mentioned it at some point during her frequent complaints about the Zetas - but she had, she supposed, expected more... debris. They _were_ frat boys, after all. Yet, their House was proving to be very well kept up. It gave her hope that some of the values JP and his contemporaries had espoused had survived all this time, after all, in some fashion. That would help tremendously in getting them on board.

There actually _was_ a defensive ward around the building, to her surprise. Not anywhere near the league of what the Summers had (especially now that she'd fixed them), but it would certainly stop any low-level magic. Likely it was intended to prevent the Summers themselves from pulling any magical pranks. Given its age - she wasn't good enough at that sort of thing to tell specifics, yet, beyond 'old' - Josie might even have cast it herself. That would certainly help explain why she could just walk through it like it wasn't there. Again, she had to tug Carmilla through, though this time she didn't feel the need to make sure Carm knew not to abuse that display of trust.

Besides, with Will in residence, it was hardly like she couldn't have gotten in if she'd really needed to for some time, now, was it?

The Zeta House had a lot more hardwood flooring - _polished_ hardwood flooring, making her suspect that keeping it clean was one of the things pledges were responsible for - than the Summers did, though she and Carmilla had only seen the front foyer and hallway leading to the receiving room they now stood in. (Maybe it was to help keep them from having to try and clean alcohol or vomit stains out of the carpet, she mused with a flicker of disgust. That would at least show evidence of planning ahead, on their part, she supposed.) There weren't a lot of Zetas around at that time of day, but they'd managed to get a hold of someone in their leadership, Theo... something-or-other. She hadn't caught his last name, and didn't want to appear rude by revealing she hadn't bothered learning much of anything about them that Kirsch - or JP - hadn't told her. "I'm sorry, you think Will's a _what_?" he asked warily, disbelief written heavily across his features as he leaned against one of the leather chairs. (Normal leather, she was relieved to note, her trip to the dean's office still fresh in her mind. Where everyone around there kept _getting_ all their leather furniture and clothing, though, she had no idea.)

"Will's a vampire," she repeated. "He's helping kidnap the girls who're missing, he's the one who wound up getting Sarah Jane killed, and he's the reason Kirsch is missing, too."

"That's quite an accusation to be throwing around, Miss Hollis," he said, eyes narrowed.

"Yes, it is," she acknowledged. "Which is why I wouldn't be doing so if I wasn't _certain_."

"Like you were _certain_ about your roommate?" he asked, nodding toward Carmilla.

She'd never actually _said_ who she suspected, but anyone watching her videos wouldn't have had any trouble figuring it out. She gave Carm an apologetic look even as she said, "To be fair, I _was_ right that she was a vampire, and she _had_ been involved with past kidnappings." Carmilla, fortunately, wasn't offended at all. They'd long moved past that stage, and even then she would have admitted that Laura had every reason to suspect her. "But that just means I have an inside source to confirm my suspicions in this case. And if you're watching my videos, you _saw_ him try to kill me!" Because, though she hadn't been thinking of it at the time, her camera _had_ still been running that night, so she'd wound up catching Will's murder attempt - and her own vanishing act - on camera. (She'd also gotten Carmilla's encounter with Titania on video. Watching Titania finally get to play 'loving and protective mother' had made her feel good, even while it also made her worry for Carmilla's continued safety. Carmilla's words had also made her feel warm inside. She _hadn't_ liked hearing about Carm's reputation, but understood that a vampire had certain needs.) She'd thought long and hard before posting that video online, given that it actually _showed_ her using some serious-level magic, but since the dean would be finding out anyway, there was no real reason not to, since it _was_ undeniably part of the story. Even if she wasn't sure she liked everyone knowing private details about her like that. (The part with her mother and Carmilla, however, she had edited out. It had been on the flashdrive she'd recently given Professor Cochrane, true, but she was certain the dean wouldn't be finding out that way, now. She still wanted to downplay the whole princess thing as much as she could as far as the student body as a whole was concerned. How much longer she'd be able to do so... That was another matter entirely.)

"Given the way you jump cut yourself out of there, people are questioning the authenticity of that video," Theo revealed, still unconvinced.

Her jaw tensed, but she silently counted to five. No, it was okay, she told herself. They didn't really know her, after all, so they couldn't know how questioning her word or thinking she might actually _fake_ any footage might offend her. "Well, whether you believe me or not doesn't matter. That won't change the truth. But, as it happens, I've got somebody here you _will_ believe," she said, holding up JP's flashdrive.

He raised an eyebrow, understandably confused. "Are you feeling alright, Miss Hollis?"

She chuckled faintly. "Hard to say. I'm not crazy, though." She walked over to the large screen smart TV hanging on the wall across from their (leather, naturally; did the people of Silas have some kind of vendetta against cows?) couch and turned it on, then plugged in the flashdrive. After giving JP a few seconds to boot up his interface, she turned to Theo and said, "I've been meaning to bring him over for a while, now, but doing that while Will was around would have been too dangerous. Now, though... Well, now, I'd like to introduce you to Mister J.P. Armitage, junior records clerk, class of 1874, and..."

"...and founding member of Zeta Omega Mu," Theo finished in a hushed voice.

'Indeed so. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Straka,' JP typed out on the screen.

So _that_ was his last name. Laura made a mental note to remember that, this time - and realized that she had no idea what Kirsch's _first_ name was. Ah, well. One thing at a time. That Theo knew something of his fraternity's history made her feel a little more hopeful that having JP there, someone who hadn't lost touch with what their values really meant, might be enough to start whipping the present Zetas into shape. "He's been stuck in the Library catalogue since 1874," she told Theo. "We're... still not sure how that happened. But he can tell you all about the dean and her cabal of vampires, and what they're up to - those of you who _haven't_ been watching my videos, anyway," she added pointedly, still a little stung by his earlier, unspoken accusation. She paused, then added, "And maybe while he's here you guys can figure out a better - or at least faster - interface for him." She shook her head. "JP, I'm gonna leave you here for a while, okay? Do what you can to get the Zetas up to speed. I need to set a few other things in motion."

'Certainly, Your Highness. And good luck.'

"To us all." She'd mostly given up trying to get him to stop calling her that, accepting that his old school manners simply wouldn't allow for that level of informality with royalty. In any event, it was time to move on to the next item on her agenda: summoning up some pixies to ask for their help.

Before she could take more than a couple of steps toward the door, Theo called, "Hollis." She paused, looking back at him. He seemed uncomfortable with whatever he was about to say, but pressed on anyway. "I know you're the one behind the truce with the Summers. You haven't been here long enough to _really_ know what things were like before that, the tensions and mistrust that some of us have been living with for _years_ , now. That kind of thing isn't easy to just let go of, especially when you know nothing's actually changed."

That was true, she supposed. For all that she'd pointed out how their bizarre rivalry was detracting from their efforts to keep _anyone_ on campus safe (and was in fact accomplishing the exact opposite), for all the non-violent contests Silas hosted (and she was still torn between being impressed and a bit weirded out by how much Kirsch knew about 19th Century period protection, and saving undies in general), the Summer Society and Zeta Omega Mu hadn't done more than become more inclined to ignore each other, rather than working to actually resolve their differences. That was partly her fault, she supposed. The Summers were so distracted by her presence, and what she'd brought back to them, that they'd kind of forgotten about things like that. "And I'm there so much I might as well _be_ a Summer," she admitted. "So the Zetas wouldn't be inclines to pay as close attention to what I was saying as some."

"Especially with Will around to sabotage their opinion of you," Carmilla added, speaking up for the first time. That wasn't really a surprise. She was a woman of few words, after all, only speaking for any real length of time about the things that she viewed as really mattering, and she clearly viewed the whole 'recruit the Zetas' thing as Laura's show to run.

"Exactly," Theo agreed. "Will's been a loyal Zeta for years, as well. But..." He darted a quick look at the TV, where JP's old and faded photograph was still present. _But that didn't compare to the word of a founding Zeta,_ Laura silently finished. "Some of us have noticed something... a _bit_ off about him, now and then, his reactions not _quite_ right about some things... Nothing _too_ far out of the ordinary, though, especially for Silas." He glanced briefly at Carmilla. "And being a vampire isn't an actual crime."

"Can hardly argue that," she said with a half-shrug.

"Even so..." He shook his head. "If he has done what you've said he has, to the girls _and_ to Kirsch, then he's broken _every_ vow he's ever made as a Zeta.

Taking a chance, Laura said, "We're pretty sure we know when and where the sacrifices will be taking place; we're working to get confirmation of that. Once we come up with a plan of attack, can we count on the Zetas to help? It'll mean fighting alongside the Summers, instead of against them, and while I'll do my best, I can't promise there won't be any casualties."

Theo was silent for a long moment. She didn't try to rush him, knowing it was no small thing that she was asking. While the Zetas and Summers had fought _near_ each other against the same third party before during the Mushroom Incident, working together and supporting each other was something else entirely. And she was pretty sure no other fraternity in the world did things like risk death fighting against an ancient evil vampire and her forces. "It'll be a whole new experience," he finally admitted. "But if you're _sure_...?" At her confirmation, he nodded. "We may have fallen a long way since the 1870s, but we're still Zetas. If this plan of yours will ensure the safety of the student body, we're honorbound to see it through. Not to mention saving Wilson." His expression darkened. "As well as the little matter of explaining to Will just how... _disappointed_ in him we are..."

Kirsch's first name was Wilson? Making a mental note to remember that, even if she never used it, she said, "Speaking of Will... If he comes back at some point, and you're not ready to make any kind of move against him - because let me tell you, even if you manage to ambush him, vampires are _every bit_ as strong and fast as most myths make them out to be - don't say anything about JP. Right now, the dean thinks he's dead, and I'm perfectly happy to let her."

"I'll keep that in mind." The words might have been seen as dismissive, but she got the idea it was more that he was briefly distracted by thinking up possible ambush situations for Will. "It hasn't escaped anyone's notice that the Summers have been a lot less contentious, of late," he suddenly said, seemingly at random. "Between you spending so much time with them without actually joining and JP over there calling you 'Your Highness', I can make a guess as to why that might be."

"I don't think I can exactly claim sole credit," she said with a shrug. She couldn't exactly deny that she'd played any part in it, either, though. "Anyway. When things start moving, they're likely to move _fast_. I'm not sure how much advance notice I'll be able to give you before we move out," she warned.

"Understood." He clearly had a tactical enough mind to know how some things were beyond your control, no matter how carefully you planned things out. "We'll start getting ready - discreetly - right away." He held out a hand to her. "Good luck... princess."

Being called that was starting to bother her less, she noted as she shook it. That was probably not a good sign. "To us all."

* * *

"Explain to me again what we're doing out here?" Carmilla requested as she looked around the forest Laura had lead her out into.

"I need to talk to some of the local pixies," Laura repeated. They weren't exactly in a clearing, but at least the trees were spread out enough for Carmilla to be able to see someone coming. "And I don't want your mom or one of her minions seeing me do it."

"Wouldn't the 'local' ones be actually _on_ campus grounds?"

"From what I've been hearing, they tend to wander back and forth regularly." Mel had actually been the one to first start telling her about them, that day when she'd hurt Danny so badly during her first magic lesson, likely to try and distract her from her dark, miserable thoughts. Whether out of a sense of compassion she didn't let show often, or a more practical desire to keep the completely untrained changeling princess who'd just completely disabled one of their strongest mages completely by accident calm, she had no idea. Maybe it was both. She'd also mentioned one small, seemingly unimportant tidbit of trivia that let Laura believe she could totally pull this off. "They have a pretty good idea who and what I am, by now. I don't have any authority to _officially_ order them around, but I'm strong enough that they know if I wanted to, I could _make_ them do what I said. I haven't, though, and they'll have noticed _that_ , too. Even now, I'm putting out a magical beacon that will attract their attention, but not compel them to do anything." That was something Kheelan had shown her how to do during a break between her actual lessons. It was so intrinsic to the sidhe, especially the royalty, that she'd only needed a brief sense of what it took, in order to be able to judge what kind of energy to put out, and of what volume. Pixies were pretty much at the bottom of the food chain in Faerie. Even an untitled princess could order them around, if she wanted to. Being respected enough to be asked would be something new, and would definitely make them inclined to hear her out.

It didn't take long for the first of them to start drifting down through the trees. They darted about, some just drifting here and there, clearly waiting for something. Laura did the same, watching them with interest. She could see why Danny had been so confused, that first night, by her account of the glowing ball that had lead her through the Summers' House. Many of the pixies _did_ seem to be just glowing balls of light, some leaving glittering trails of pixie dust behind them as they flew. It was a hypnotic show, but, perhaps owing to her heritage, it just wasn't grabbing her. (The little girl that she'd once been, however, _was_ captivated by watching real, actual _pixies_ zipping through the air, but for an entirely different reason.) Carmilla, for her part, was wisely not looking too closely at the faerie lights, knowing better.

Finally, one of them, slightly larger than the others at about six inches tall, dropped down to hover about a foot away. "You're their leader, I presume?" The pixie nodded. She had dark brown hair that stopped just above her shoulders, matching eyes, and was dressed in white dress that looked like it had once been part of someone's handkerchief. Laura could only guess some kind of pixie magic was keeping it free of dirt and grime. "What should I call you?" She knew better than to ask for names. She wanted them to listen, not decide she was trying to trap them and flee.

"Nyx am I called, by some," the pixie replied, voice high pitched and reedy.

Carmilla came close to doing a double take, then sighed and shook her head. "Of _course_ it has to _talk_ , too. I mean, why _wouldn't_ it?"

Laura pressed on before any of the pixies could take offense, reflecting that maybe she should have left Carm back at the dorms, for this. "Nyx, I have a favor to ask of you and yours."

"What could the daughter of the Warm Queen need of us?" Nyx queried

"A fair question," she allowed. Warm Queen? That was a new one. "You know of the sacrifices that happen every twenty years here, are you not?" She was trying to keep her language as formal as she could, given the circumstances. It seemed like the appropriate thing to do. At Nyx's nod, she continued, "I am seeking to put an end to that cycle of death. I believe I know where they will take place, and where the sacrifices are being kept, despite Lilith's best efforts to hide them from me. I must be sure, however. As such, I would like you to investigate the caverns underneath what's known as the Lustig Building. Given the plethora of pixies to be found in and around Silas University, if you're careful, your presence will go unremarked."

Nyx frowned, and there was a rising buzz from the swarm. Actually, what was the proper collective noun for pixies? Flock? Troop? Pod?Flight? Cloud? _Oh, whatever..._ She'd stick with swarm until somebody who knew more said otherwise. "Such an action would invite grave danger," she observed, her shrill voice ruining the gravitas she was likely trying to achieve. "What would you offer in payment?"

"I understand that bread and milk are the traditional payment for such services," she began, because that was what Mel had told her. Nyx didn't seem displeased by the possibility, which agreed with that. But Mel had also casually mentioned one other unimportant fact. Or _she_ didn't consider it important, anyway. Laura, however, took a different view. "But I've also heard that some of your kin in America have developed something of a taste for pizza," she added nonchalantly.

Every single pixie in the swarm simultaneously froze in place, staring at her.

Nyx's expression had turned astonished. "You know of _pizza_?" Her voice had gotten even higher. If that continued, it might well end up in the hypersonic range.

"I do," she intoned seriously, working hard to keep the smile that wanted to creep onto her face at bay. "If you do this, and discover who and what I'm looking for, one pizza will be provided for every ten volunteers." The resultant high pitched cheer and excited burst of chatter felt like a needle poking into her brain, and she caught Carmilla gritting her teeth. With her hearing, that must have been even worse. "Do we have a deal?" she asked Nyx, if only to forestall that _noise_.

"We do!" Nyx agreed gleefully, zipping in excited circles a few times before settling back into place.

"Good." She raised her voice. "Kheelan!" As ever, it didn't take long for him to appear at her call. (That was something she was _also_ getting used to, which she didn't know how to feel about.) Quickly, but being careful not to miss anything, she outlined the terms of her bargain with the pixies. "I want you to remain near the Lustig, out of sight. When they've returned with the information, have their payment waiting for them." He'd also be better able to count them than she would, so he'd know how many pizzas to get.

"As you wish, Your Highness." She'd made sure to make it an order, rather than a request, to make sure he couldn't protest that he was to remain near her. She'd gotten into the habit of having an energy drink after lessons, especially the more energy intensive ones, so she knew he would be able to procure actual, human-made food. (She didn't bother offering to pay him back, anymore. He'd made it clear the money was coming from some bank account or other that Titania had set up a long time ago for just such a purpose - Laura had been worried that he might have resorted to the old faerie tradition of substituting random pieces of greenery for human money, which she was not okay with - so she didn't need to worry about it.)

Once they'd departed she sighed, shook herself, then turned to Carmilla. "Okay, then," she said, dropping back into her usual pattern of speech. "Let's head back. I still have some research to do."

"Works for me," Carmilla said, stretching. "I could use a nap."

"A catnap, you mean?"

"Cute."

* * *

Carmilla had no idea what time it was when she woke up again, beyond 'late'. It was still before midnight, at least. Once she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, she noticed that while Laura had turned the lights down low, out of consideration for her, she was still sitting at the computer, staring intently at the screen, just as she had been when Carmilla went to sleep. "Burning the midnight oil, Cupcake?" she asked, stretching again.

It seemed to take a few seconds for the question to sink in. "Hmm? Oh, yeah, I guess so. Kheelan was here earlier. We were right about the Lustig. Kirsch is with the girls, too. Guess he's going to be the fifth sacrifice." Laura paused. "Sounds kind of like a mystery novel or something, doesn't it? The Fifth Sacrifice." Her voice took on a gravelly tone. "You're the Fifth Sacrifice, Zap Rowsdower!"

"Yeeeaaaaah... When you start babbling nonsense like that, it's definitely time for bed," Carmilla decided, sliding out from under the covers and padding silently across the room.

"In a bit. Oh! That reminds me." She changed tabs on her internet browser. "Remember that lesson on striking multiple targets I had a while back that I told you about?" The lesson in question had required her to pull down lightning from an already existing storm, to better keep anyone not in the know from realizing it was anything but a natural event. (It had also made her feel a bit secret agent-ish, which was kind of fun.) "Turns out that someone got a picture of that... and someone else captioned it."

Carmilla looked at the screen, then snorted in amusement. The picture was of multiple lightning bolts striking the ocean near a city she didn't immediately recognize, upon which someone had added the words 'FUCK THESE 6 FISH IN PARTICULAR'. "Cute."

"I thought so." She went back to what she'd been looking at before.

Carmilla turned to head toward the refrigerator to get some blood... then nearly gave herself whiplash in the course of her abrupt double-take, because she couldn't have seen _that_ right. "Is that...?" Laura made to close the tab, but Carmilla pulled her chair away from the desk. A closer look at the screen failed to show that she'd been imagining things before. "Are you looking at a _bondage_ site?"

"Um... maybe?"

"You. The one to whom the words 'naïve, provincial, and tightly-wound' have been previously applied."

"Well, learning about my mother's side of the family has been taking care of those, to say nothing of dating you."

"Granted," Carmilla allowed. "But... _Why?!_ " She waved vaguely at the computer.

"I told you. Research." Her face was slowly turning red.

Carmilla peered at the screen, baffled. "I don't exactly go in for that sort of thing, Laura," she said slowly.

"Oh, I know. It isn't for you."

Well, that just raised a whole host of new questions. "Excuse me?"

"What? I don't complain about you going out and biting people," Laura said defensively.

"Well, it's not like I _can_ bite you, is it? A vampire has needs, you know." Whether either of them liked it or not.

"Maybe a faerie princess does, too," she challenged.

"You've never..."

"Of course not. If I had, I wouldn't need to be doing so much research, would I?" Laura asked that like it was a perfectly logical question, and not something that was just confusing her girlfriend all the more.

Carmilla looked back at the screen. 'Submissive Etiquette in Formal Training'. "You don't seem terribly submissive, to me."

"I'm not."

"Where did _this_ even **come** from?" she asked, genuinely perplexed. How had she never caught any hint of _this_ kind of interest brewing in her tiny girlfriend?

"I have been learning a lot about myself ever since I arrived at Silas," Laura said, which was probably the truest thing she'd ever said. "Part of the reason for the research is figuring out exactly how I _do_ feel about the idea. Because if I end up not liking it too much, there wouldn't really be any point in going any farther, would there?"

That was true, but from the look on her face before she realized Carmilla could see _exactly_ what she was looking up, she liked the idea just fine. "Is this about you liking having your orders obeyed and such?" Because Laura _had_ confided her worries to Carmilla before she'd gone to the Summer Society for answers, and that would at least make some kind of sense. And given whom she'd been wanting to talk to about it... "Is it Gail? I can see her going in for this."

"No. And no teasing her, if you guess."

"When would I even...?" Something clicked. "Wait, are you... _Xena_?" Her eyebrows shot up toward her hairline. "I would _not_ have guessed that."

"Carm." At Laura's sudden, completely serious tone, Carmilla looked down at her. "I **mean** it," she said flatly. "I know you two like picking at each other, but _not about this_. I only know because I could read her mind, and this is too personal, too private, for that sort of bickering. Promise me."

"I don't-"

" _Promise me._ "

Carmilla blinked. This, she could tell, was something Laura considered non-negotiable. "Okay, I promise. But just because I may bite other girls-"

"After getting them excited first, to stimulate blood flow?" Laura interrupted. "Look, I'm just doing research right now, okay? I'm not sure I even _can_ do this. But if I ever did, it wouldn't be about sex. It would be about me taking care of her, as I understand it. Which is kind of what a Princess does. Or should do, anyway." The capitalization on the word princess had been fairly well audible, indicating Laura didn't think much of her Unseelie cousin's job performance.

Carmilla sighed, shaking her head. "...you are just full of surprises, aren't you?"

"Well, that'll help keep things from getting boring, won't it?" Laura countered, finally moving her chair back to the desk and shutting down her computer. Evidently she was done with research for the night. "Besides, don't lie. You totally like the image of me in leather with some girl kneeling at my feet." She smirked. "You may even like it more than I do."

Carmilla smirked right back at her. "No comment."


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

* * *

Two days crawled by.

Laura had taken advantage of it being so late in the term, skipping a number of her classes. (As evidenced by how few people had been present in her Journalism class even back during the most recent series of revelations she'd had to deal with, once they'd handed in their work, some people didn't feel obligated to even show up.) She'd had one or two finals to study for, but aside from that, she'd devoted most of her time to an entirely different type of cramming: extended lessons with Kheelan.

She'd literally lost track of time, made all the worse by how most of her hours-long individual lessons could fit into the space of a moment or two. She was usually worn out and sore by the time she got back to her dorm room where she'd rest, recover, then head back for more. Even with that, even with as quickly as she picked things up, it was becoming more and more clear that she was never going to be ready in time the way she was.

Talking to LaFontaine only made her feel worse.

They'd been relieved to learn that Perry was still alive and unharmed, brain parasites notwithstanding, and they did understand why she wasn't just rushing off to rescue the sacrifices. The only thing worse than Perry's life being in danger, to them, would be if Laura got herself killed (or worse) by acting before she was ready, and Perry being sacrificed anyway. What they didn't know was that, if she'd taken up the mantle of Summer Princess, Laura could have gone and saved them already. The sacrifices were safe enough where they were, true, but she still felt horribly guilty knowing it all could be over if she'd just stop thinking of herself.

She tended to cling a bit desperately to Carmilla at night, often staring at her girlfriend like she was trying to burn her face, the emotions she was feeling, into her memory. That wasn't far from the truth, really.

Because she knew what she had to do. What she should have already done.

She slept in on the third morning, having been informed that she was being given the morning, if not the whole day, off from lessons, to give her time to recover fully. That just drove home how woefully inadequate a mere changeling would be in taking on the dean. Fortunately, once she woke up, she did have a distraction from her thoughts. When Carmilla woke up later on, she blinked in sleepy confusion to find Laura, dressed in a gray tank top and a blue pair of shorts, sitting cross-legged on Carmilla's own bed (which was mostly unused these days for anything beyond throwing stuff onto it), biting her lip as she filled out some kind of paperwork. "Didn't you tell me you were finished with schoolwork for this semester?" she asked, stretching.

"I am," Laura confirmed, not looking up. Carmilla stretching like that even while clothed tended to distract her far too much. Given that she hadn't even put on a shirt, yet...

Laura knew from experience that she'd immediately forget what she'd been doing if she watched that. "Remember how Aunt Mab said she'd have a copy of that test she uses to make sure all the evil fairy tale villainesses and such are up to snuff sent to me?"

That did ring a bell, yes. "That's it?" She started getting dressed, if only so that Laura might look at her while they were talking. She'd learned when she could successfully distract and tempt Laura into another round of lovemaking, and this clearly wasn't one of those times.

"Yeah." She shook her head and picked it up off the textbook she'd been using as a flat surface to write on, holding it up so Carmilla could get a good look at it. The sheaf of papers was easily as thick as the Toronto phone book. "This thing is worse than the SATs and filing your taxes _combined_. Some of these questions..."

"Why are you filling it out, then?" Both of the examples Laura had named were things one might _have_ to do, after all, not forms of recreation.

"I started because I was kind of curious what score I'd get, you know?" She shrugged. "I'm just about halfway through it, now, so I can't just _quit_. Besides, it's already used up one of my pens. It's personal, now."

Carmilla snorted and got up to get a glass of blood from the fridge.

The next few hours were quiet ones, Laura slowly but steadily making her way through the certification test, occasionally pausing to read aloud a question that had amused, confused, or disturbed her, while Carmilla read one of her philosophy books. By the time Laura was finished, her hand was cramping severely, and her back was rather unhappy with her for staying in one position for so long. "Ow, ow, ow," she complained as she set the test off to the side and twisted, eliciting a series of pops that would have been audible from the other side of the room even without vampiric hearing.

Carmilla winced in sympathy, then got up and tugged Laura to her feet. "C'mere," she said, leading Laura back toward her own bed. "Lay down," she instructed. Once Laura was laying face down, Carmilla began massaging her shoulders and back.

"Ooo, that feels nice..." Laura told her, all but melting into the mattress as she worked.

"After that, I think you've earned it."

"Mm."

"How do you get that thing scored, anyway?"

"I dunno. I guess..." She felt a flicker of magic from across the room, centered on the test. "I guess I just had to wait a little while."

"Huh. Well, it's not going anywhere," Carmilla said as she began kneading her trapezius. Laura's reply was a mostly incoherent moan that she correctly interpreted as an agreement. By the time she was finished with her massage about half an hour later, Laura felt like a boneless puddle on the bed.

She was sure Carmilla would have happily kept her there all day, but she couldn't do it. Taking some (apparently much needed) time off from her magic lessons was one thing, but spending all day doing nothing while innocent lives hung in the balance...? She didn't have that in her, and Carmilla clearly knew it, as she didn't offer more than a token protest when Laura started getting up. She padded over to Carmilla's bed, picking up the test... and froze, staring down at it in shock.

"How'd you do?" Carmilla asked, honestly curious by this point.

"I... got a ninety-five," Laura said, sounding disturbed. "Out of a possible one hundred. I don't... know how to take that."

"Huh." Carmilla's eyebrows rose. "Pretty sure Maman only got an eighty-nine, the last time she took that test."

"Oh, well, _that_ makes me feel even better," Laura snarked.

"Cupcake, chill," Carmilla told her. "Keep in mind, that test only asks you _what_ you'd do, not _why_ you'd be doing it. Things that the kind of people who usually fill that out would be doing out of cold, calculating pragmatism, you'd probably be doing out of compassion and kindness. Where they might be setting someone up for a later trap, you'd just be being nice."

"That's... true," Laura allowed. "Still, this kind of weirds me out."

"Personally, I'm more amused by the fact that you'd apparently be better at the evil villainess game by accident than my mother is on purpose."

"Heh. Yeah, I guess."

"You should mention that, next time you see her," Carmilla suggested innocently. "You know, just to see what she'd have to say."

"You are terrible."

"Yes, but I'm so _good_ at it."

"Oh, would you like a copy of Mab's test to fill out, then?"

"It's good to see all that paperwork didn't have any affect on your sense of humor." Because they both knew Carmilla didn't like putting a lot of time and effort into even the things that she actually _needed_ to do. Something like this...?

Nope. Not happening.

* * *

Laura actually did have one final paper to hand in. Political science was not exactly a course she enjoyed, but she'd found wasn't all that hard for her to learn. Taken as an omen, she _supposed_ that was promising, given the direction her life seemed to be going in.

It also made her wonder what, exactly, she'd be learning from royal tutors and whoever, were she living in Faerie right then. Did they have separate math and science courses? Art history? Clearly, based on Mab's unfamiliarity with something as simple as a cell phone, human technology wasn't something she'd have been learning anything about. Josie's message proved there were likely magical equivalents for a lot of them, but probably not all. She was also pretty sure they didn't know much of anything about pop culture.

If she wound up living there, she'd have to work out some way of getting Netflix access or something, then. Who knew? Maybe she could teach the Fae a few things.

On her way back from handing in her paper, she found herself stopping and staring at the Lustig across the campus. Right then, while she was off wasting time with schoolwork and pointless quizzes, five people were being prepared for sacrifice to an eldritch creature. Oh, sure, they were currently so far gone that they were likely having the time of their lives - evidently, the vampires were even piping in music for them to dance to - but still... Betty, Elsie, Natalie, Perry, and Kirsch. Their lives - hell, their very _souls_ \- were in danger, and she was just standing there, doing nothing?

She abruptly spun around and marched toward the administration building. This was likely a complete waste of time, but she had to at least _try_ for a peaceful resolution to the whole mess. She'd never be able to forgive herself, otherwise.

She followed the same route she'd taken last time to the dean's office. She noted without much in the way of a surprise that the door had already been replaced. She knocked, then opened the door and looked inside. As expected, the rest of the office was also back to pristine condition. The dean, she was sure, wouldn't have tolerated anything less.

"Yes?" Lilith began, traces of impatience in her voice. "What is-" She broke off upon seeing who was at her door. For a long moment, no one moved, or spoke. "Ah. Miss Hollis. I was wondering if you were going to be paying me a visit before the end of the term." Neither even bothered pretending they didn't know about the sacrifices, or when they would happen. Things had gone beyond that some time ago.

Laura stepped into the office, shutting the door behind her. "You know why I'm here, then?"

"To plead for the lives of your friends, and threaten me, should I refuse to relinquish my claim upon then, I presume."

"You're half right." At Lilith's raised eyebrow, she continued, "I'm not going to threaten you. We both know that would be pointless."

"True."

"I will, however, absolutely plead for their lives." Laura took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "This is _pointless_ ," she said feelingly. "You don't need to kill anyone. You _know_ that I could bind the creature, or even come up with a replacement."

"If you could do that, Miss Hollis, I believe you would have already done so, whether I wanted you to or not."

"I'm pretty sure trying that without your okay would be construed as an attack on the Gate," Laura countered. "I can't believe you _want_ to continue this feeding cycle forever. I'm offering an alternative to that. Why would you _not_ want to take me up on it?"

"Why should you care what happens to a handful of humans every twenty years, Daughter of Summer?"

"You mean aside from growing up thinking I _was_ one?"

"Granted. But even you must admit that the deaths of five mortals is preferable to what the Deep One would cause, were it to fully wake and go searching for its own dinner."

"Which brings us right back to you not letting me _do_ something about it!" Laura replied, growing frustrated by her refusal to even consider the possibility.

"Because I don't _need_ to. To be perfectly frank, Miss Hollis, the fact that you're here saying this, rather than your mother or anyone in the Summer Court, tells me you're the _only one_ who cares about the mortals' fate. It was made quite clear to me when the task of guarding the Gate was inflicted upon me that doing so is my responsibility. Asking for help, ceding any of my authority, would be seen as a weakness, my admitting I couldn't handle it."

Inflicted? Who had- No. She pushed the question out of her mind. That wasn't important, just then. "Except _I'm_ asking _you_ to let me help you," Laura plead. "What do I have to do to convince you?"

Lilith considered her for a long, long moment. "Bleed," she finally said.

Laura's heart skipped a beat. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me, Miss Hollis. If you truly wish me to accept your aid in this matter, that is what it will cost you. It wouldn't necessarily even have to be much."

"But... I can't," she said, fighting down the burst of panic she'd felt. "My mother... I promised."

"I see." Clearly, she knew what a promise to a Faerie Queen meant, as she didn't press. That was good, since Laura technically _hadn't_ actually promised her mother any such thing. "That is unfortunate, for your friends."

"Having me owe you a favor wouldn't be appealing enough?"

Lilith considered that. "A tempting prospect, I will admit," she conceded. "Yet, I have found, over the course of my life, that getting involved in faerie games of who owes whom what only results in irritation, in the end. And regardless of what you may wish me to believe, your mother would claim that, since her daughter was kind and selfless enough to help me, I was in debt to Summer by a considerable margin, and others would support that. So no, Miss Hollis. There will be no deals, no bargains. If you must, take solace in knowing that the sacrifices will be giving their lives to ensure the safety and well being of the rest of the mortal world."

Which, even if that may have been true, offered no comfort. She sighed, shoulders falling. "So be it, then," she whispered. She'd been so hoping that there would be some way - _**any**_ way - to resolve matters without... But she'd just been fooling herself, hadn't she? "I tried," she said to the universe in general. "Let it never be said that I didn't try." She reached for the door, then paused. "There is one thing, though. Since you don't want to owe me any debts."

"Ah. That." Lilith's eyes narrowed. "I should warn you, Miss Hollis, that information, while helpful, was not worth accepting your proposal."

"I know. But it is worth _one_ life."

"Even if I gave you one of the sacrifices, I would just have to collect another. Would your Society friend want that?"

"I'm not talking about Elsie. Or Perry, or any of them." They obviously weren't going to settle anything related to them in the here and now. "I mean Carmilla."

"Oh?"

"I want you to leave her alone. You know she hates this, all of it. Let her go and live her life. You and yours stay away from her. Set her _free_. Promise me that, and your debt will be settled."

Lilith was silent for a full three minutes, considering that. She weighed her hatred of owing anybody - especially the Fae - _anything_ against whatever she might have felt for Carmilla... and agreed. "Very well. I accept your proposal." She paused as the magic of the bargain settled into place. "You may inform my d- _Mircalla_ that I will not be troubling her again. However, you should also warn her that also means that, should she interfere in my business in the future, those who _are_ mine will see no cause to hold back in the course of dealing with her."

"I'll do that." She opened the office door and left, not stopping until she was outside, but still out of sight of the dean's window. She braced herself against the building, closing her eyes, and struggled to regain her equilibrium. She supposed she shouldn't have expected any less, and she _had_ actually accomplished more than she would have thought she might, but still... She just could _not_ understand why Lilith wouldn't want to cooperate. People could achieved more together than they could separately, after all. Why wouldn't anyone want to avoid conflict when possible? Working together for the common good just made more _sense_ , to her.

But she seemed to be alone in that. And it seemed that she wasn't going to have a choice in her actions, after all.

Not if she wanted to be able to live with herself.

* * *

The Summer Society was understandably surprised when she walked through the front door, since they knew she had the day off. "I need to talk to my mother about something," she told them. "There's one last thing I can try. If this works... Well. I don't wanna raise false hopes."

She caught Danny frowning at her, knowing full well that she was referring to rescuing the sacrifices, and that there was nothing she could say or do that would let Queen Titania act.

She headed upstairs to the summoning room before Danny could figure out what the one exception to that was. She couldn't let anyone even try and talk her out of this. No more being selfish. No more avoiding responsibility.

No more refusing her birthright.

It didn't take long, anymore, to call her mother. Usually uttering her name three times was enough. "Good afternoon, Laura," Titania said once she'd appeared in the circle. She was wearing a forest green business suit, today, the skirt ending just above her knees, with a pair of heels that made her even taller than her daughter than she usually was.

Was it afternoon already? No time... Why was there never enough time? "Not really," she said dully. "You know what day it is, don't you?"

Her mother's smile faded away. "I do," she confirmed solemnly. Technically, the new moon was tomorrow, with the dark moon still in effect. (She'd needed to do a fair bit of research to understand the difference between the astronomical new moon, sometimes known as the dark moon to avoid confusion, and the new moon in the lunar calendar, which was what the dean, who apparently predated modern astronomy completely, used.) With only the space of a few hours separating them from the first sliver of moon appearing in the sky, it was close enough that the victims could be sacrificed tonight, if need be.

And given that she was undoubtably expecting an attempt to stop it, Lilith almost certainly would be doing so.

"I've told you before, Laura, much as I might wish it, this is not something I can interfere with," Titania told her sympathetically.

"I know." She fidgeted silently for a moment. "I'm... as ready as I'm ever going to be."

Silence.

"Are you certain?" Titania asked quietly. "This is not something to decide lightly. Once you have become the Princess, it cannot simply be undone."

"I know," she said again. "But this is about more than just one rescue mission. More than _me_. What's happening here is wrong. More over, I can't let things stay so unbalanced. Earth and Faerie alike _need_ there to be a Summer Princess, and I'm the only one who can do it. I probably should have done it sooner, but..." She hugged herself. "I wasn't ready. I don't know if I really am, now, but we're out of time. So. Here I am, asking you to give me the mantle, and the time I'd need to adapt." She met her mother's eyes. "I have conditions, though."

The Summer Queen raised an eyebrow. Rather than pointing out that _Laura_ was the one asking for the mantle, she merely asked, "And what might those be?"

"There's the obvious one, of course. Giving me the knowledge and power I need to not only take care of Lilith, but also bind Lophiiformes until a replacement can be procured."

"Both of which you will be getting with the mantle."

"I also want to ensure Carmilla's safety. I don't want any Faerie magic affecting her, passively or aggressively. Wouldn't want anyone in the Court who might be seeking favor to have any... accidents, would we?"

"I can order the Seelie to leave her alone and ensure that she not be harmed by any defenses of ours, but I have no authority over my sister's subjects."

"I guess that will have to do." She'd just have to work something out with Mab later on, she supposed. "So?"

"I will do as you have asked, my daughter. Though, in the future, you need not bargain for your lover's safety, whoever that may then be."

"I know." Because despite what Titania seemed to think, she wasn't just going to forget about Carmilla, no matter how long it took. "Okay. Let's do this."

Her mother walked up to her, placing her hands on her shoulders. "I am sorry, Laura, but this _is_ going to hurt." It was well known that those of Faerie, especially the Queens, couldn't lie.

However, it seemed that they _could_ understate matters severely.

* * *

Laura had been in the summoning room for over two hours. Given what Danny had become certain she meant to do, she had no idea how much time that meant had passed from Laura's point of view.

They had no stories that talked about what it was like, adapting one's self to the mantle of Summer Princess. It hadn't been passed to a new girl in longer than the Summer Society had existed - centuries longer, in fact. The only thing Danny knew was that it would probably hurt.

A lot.

More time must have passed than she would have thought, though, because Laura wasn't even wearing the same outfit when she opened the door, staggering to a stop and bracing herself against the doorframe. The tank top and shorts had been replaced by a full-sleeved shirt, pants, and boots, all in varying shades of gold. They also glittered and shimmered, and if one looked very closely, they'd notice that they were either covered in or made from some kind of infinitesimally fine mesh. Laura's head was bowed, hair hanging over her face and shoulders heaving, like she was catching her breath after running a race. "Laura? Are-"

"Don't worry, I just need a minute," she said, holding up her left hand to get them to stop in their tracks - as time had gone by, Danny had been joined in her vigil outside the summoning room by most of the other Summers present in the building. Without looking up, Laura turned slightly as she addressed them, somehow knowing exactly where each person she was talking to was. "Gail, go tell the Zetas that it's time. Mel, round up the troops that aren't here. Everybody else, get whatever you need for a fight. We're going."

Gail stared at her in surprise for a long moment, then let out a whoop of delight, grinning as she turned and left to go carry out her instructions. The rest of the crowd was similarly enthused, eagerly heading off to get anything they might need as they _finally_ got to do something about the pointless cycle of death.

Except Danny.

She simply stood there, waiting. Finally, once Laura had caught her breath, she straightened up, brushing her hair back. Despite expecting it, Danny couldn't help but wince in sympathy when she saw her face: features sharpened beyond mere mortal beauty, her power radiating out as a sort of aura that enhanced her draw even more, and eyes that were vertically slitted like a cat. "Oh, Laura..." she said softly. "You didn't have to-"

"I did, if we wished to have any chance of success," Laura interrupted. She closed her eyes briefly and shook her head, then reopened them, seemingly dispelling the illusion of her inhumanity. In fact, Danny knew, she'd done the opposite, placing a glamour over herself. "I need you to go get the sword case from upstairs. I... can't, anymore." The case being made of steel, and all. "Then call Carmilla. She's the only one strong enough to be able to throw it far enough that our side won't be caught in the backlash." Clearly, she'd picked up on Danny's desire to do it herself, if only to spare Laura from having to drag the woman she loved into the epic battle they were facing.

"Okay," Danny said, because what else was there _to_ say when her Princess was issuing instructions? "But what about-"

"This?" Laura asked, gesturing toward her face to encompass the whole of the transformation she'd undergone. "You're not going to say anything about this until the battle is over."

"Look, I get that-"

"No, you misunderstand me." Laura looked pained, but nevertheless repeated, "You're not going to say anything about this until the battle is over." This time, the note of command was unmistakable in her voice... and when Danny opened her mouth to object, no sound came out. "I'm really sorry, Danny, but I can't let you distract everyone when they most need to be focused. Afterward... You can tell them whatever you want. I've been thinking about it over the last couple days, and that seems to be the best way."

"Days?" Danny echoed. That, apparently, was okay to ask about.

"Yeah. I... wasn't adapting very well, at first. I got the hang of it, though." She sighed. "Come on, we've got a challenge to issue, and a fight to win."

A very, _very_ overdue fight.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

 **Author's Note:** I know this is rather late in going up, but seeing as this _is_ the penultimate chapter of this story, and contains the final battle against the Dean, I put a lot of extra effort into making it as suitably epic as I could. Hopefully, it'll live up to that.

Enjoy!

 

(lyrics are _You're Going Down_ , by the group Sick Puppies.)

 

* * *

 

The call from Lawrence had been a surprise, as she'd thought Laura wasn't going to be ready to challenge the dean in time to stop this sacrifice. Lawrence hadn't sounded happy about something, but she'd made it clear that yes, they _were_ going to be heading out to do just that. Which had then left Carmilla with a small dilemma: What does one wear to what was basically a showdown between the forces of good and evil?

She'd gone with basic black.

Black T-shirt, black leather pants, boots, leather jacket... The jacket and pants weren't exactly armor - that required a somewhat different quality of leather, as she recalled - but they were as close as she was likely to get unless Laura magicked her up something, and Carmilla wanted her to save up all her energy and concentration for the fight.

The fight.

God, she couldn't believe this was actually happening. After so long, the idea that, in maybe an hour or less, the 'mother' that had tormented, controlled, and abused her might be _gone_... She had to keep reminding herself that no, she was not imagining this. A semester with Laura had helped her recover enough of her spine - to say nothing of her pride and self-respect - to even be able to openly defy her mother, but that wasn't the same as believing it _would_ happen. That they could _win_. The prospect of trying and failing was no less frightening now than it had been during her dive to retrieve the Blade of Hastur, but she knew what Laura had promised her mother, which meant that, if they _were_ heading out to take on Lilith, Laura knew she _could_ win. That meant that the idea of her mother being gone, of being free, had gone from being just that - an idea - to a very real possibility. She never had gotten around to asking why Laura had been so reluctant to take the mantle of Princess - and realized, halfway out the door, that it was entirely possible that she _had_. After all, _something_ had to have changed since she'd come staggering back from her last series of lessons, exhausted. Maybe it was that.

She could only hope that wouldn't be as bad a thing as her imagination wanted her to think it was, were that the case.

Lawrence had met her at the door to the Summer Society House, her sisters - and Laura - having gone on ahead. Wordlessly, she held out the case. "You're being awfully quiet, given the circumstances," Carmilla noted as she opened it and withdrew the sword. Not that Lawrence was usually a chatterbox where she was concerned, but she usually said _something_ , if only a veiled insult. At which point, naturally, Carmilla would insult her back, and it would then be Lawrence's turn, again. It was how their relationship worked.

Per her promise to Laura, however, she'd never once mentioned anything about her knowledge of Lawrence's evident submissive streak, even when, like now, it was just the two of them.

"I know," was all Lawrence had to say as she closed the case, set it off to the side of the door, and stepped outside, shutting it behind her.

"That's a little... odd... for you," Carmilla added, put on alert by forcibly calm tone.

"I know," she repeated, giving Carmilla a pointed look. The last time she'd seen anyone acting like _this_ , it had been when Laura had been asking Kheelan about the Blade of Hastur, when Titania had forbidden it. But the Queen placing a geas on Lawrence specifically made no sense, so who...?

Wait...

"Laura?" Carmilla asked, honestly surprised. Lawrence made a slight motion with her head that might have been an attempt at a nod, saying nothing. "Then she _did_ take up the mantle?" Because only someone with direct power and influence over the Summer Society could do something like this. Laura may have had both of those before, but she had _not_ held any real authority. Another, slightly more obvious nod attempt. "And she did this to you because...?"

Lawrence looked frustrated, then contemplative. "Given what we're about to be charging into," she said slowly, as if considering each word before she spoke it, "one might, theoretically, consider it unwise to give their troops a huge distraction to worry about."

"Ah." That made some sense, she supposed. Laura might not like doing something like that, but if it kept someone from being so distracted they got themselves or everyone around them killed, she'd do it. She'd feel terrible about it, but this way Lawrence would at least be alive to apologize to afterward. "Knowing her, she'll make it up to you later. Right now, though, we've got a fight to win."

To _win_.

She still couldn't believe this was happening.

 

* * *

 

"I can't believe this is really happening," Gail said quietly as they approached the Lustig Building. She still sounded excited, but as they drew closer and closer to actually engaging in the upcoming battle, a healthy dose of trepidation had crept in, as well. No one had ever called her stupid, after all.

Crazy, yes. But never stupid.

"I know," Mel replied. "After so long..." While she more or less understood the basics of the politics of the situation, and knew all too well that humans weren't really considered more than playthings or food to most of the supernatural nations out there (well, unless humanity was stirred up en masse, of course, which was why they kept their existence a secret from them, despite that lack of respect), she was still appalled that the sacrifices had gone on for so long unchallenged, and that a monster like the dean was left in charge of protecting a Gate that nobody wanted opened anyway.

But things were different, now. Laura Hollis had brought their Queen back to them, and was now about to lead the assembled Summers and Zetas into battle to rescue the sacrifices and free the trapped souls.

If that was what she could do as herself, should she ever take up the mantle of Princess... Well, Mel had considered more than once that maybe the reason Titania wasn't pushing terribly hard for that was that she had some inkling of how vastly Princess Laura would change things in Faerie - and the rest of the supernatural world - for good, and immortal beings didn't seem to like change, especially rapid change.

"Well, better late than never," Laura stated, ending the conversation. Upon meeting up with Gail and the Zetas, Laura had given her an odd look, clearly having caught a thought that, judging by Gail's suddenly alarmed expression, she hadn't been meant to. She tried not to read any of the Summers' minds often, wanting to respect their privacy, but as she'd embraced her heritage as princess of Summer more and more, it seemed to happen increasingly frequently unless she was taking care to prevent it. Given the circumstances, it was understandable that she'd been too distracted then to manage it properly. Whatever it was Gail had been thinking, though, Laura had simply stared at her for a long moment, then shrugged and turned away, clearly dismissing it - _whatever_ it had been - as unimportant. Gail looked relieved to the point of being overwhelmed by that dismissal, for some reason, but neither had said a word about it.

If Gail was hiding something... Well, the princess had decided it didn't matter, so who was Mel to say otherwise? She'd promptly forgotten about it, having other, more immediate things to worry about.

Knowing Lilith was smart enough to have someone standing guard outside, and not wanting to give them the chance to raise the alarm, Laura had taken the precaution of veiling herself and her forces for the trek to the Lustig. This had raised a number of eyebrows among those who had never seen someone pull off such a large-scale and complicated working so effortlessly, but she hadn't paid them any mind. As expected, a pair of vampires were stationed at the front door, with another on the back. (The Lustig, fortunately, only had the two doors. Not a great plan in case of fire - which, given that this was the rebuilt version after someone had _burned it down_ , indicated a lack of foresight on the designer's part - but it was serving their purpose now.) So she split the party up, an equal number of Summers and Zetas in each group, and sent half around back to come in through that door, so that they could secure both entrances. As for the guards...

There were more than a few startled reactions when they'd seemingly vanished, incinerated so quickly there was little more than a quiet _poof_ and there were suddenly ashes drifting to the ground. Despite knowing that there was really no other way, Laura was still disgusted with herself for just... snuffing them out like that. She hated fighting, and didn't want to kill anyone.

And she also did.

The mantle of Summer Princess had come with more than just knowledge and power, however. It was a piece of Summer itself, and Summer didn't care about things like human morals or ethics. They were in her way, they were killers, they were trying to stop her from saving the sacrifices... They were her _enemies_.

So they had to die.

Laura swallowed hard, realizing she was going to have to watch herself much more carefully in the future. After this was over, that was, because this sort of situation was exactly what the Princess's instincts were designed for, she felt.

Either way, too many people were counting on her for her to falter now. She'd known going in that this wouldn't be resolved any way other than violently. She was just going to have to get used to the 'warrior' part of her duties a lot sooner than the rest.

The pixies had described the layout of the Lustig and the caverns underneath it well enough that Kheelan had been able to draw her a map. (He _had_ come along, but, at Laura's request, under a veil of his own, so that if any of her people ran into trouble, he would be able to catch their opponent by surprise, as often as he needed to. Why let Lilith know the full extent of who and what she could bring to bear until she absolutely had to?) As such, the two groups were able to make their way through the building with ease, meeting up at the door to the stairs that lead down into the caverns.

Carmilla's description of the so-called 'hellhounds' had been vague, at best, but Laura still immediately knew what the creature standing next to the vampire at the bottom of the stairs had to be. It had four legs, a more-or-less canine head, and a tail, but that was where all resemblance to an actual dog stopped. It had black, leathery skin in place of fur, its eyes glowed a baleful red, it stood a little over three feet tall while still on all fours, and its drool seemed to be eating away at the floor of the tunnel like acid.

She was a little less reluctant to simply vaporize those two.

The system of tunnels and caverns underneath the school, she'd been informed, formed a labyrinthine maze that could take people days to find their way out of, should they get lost, if not weeks... assuming they managed to get out at all. Fortunately, they didn't have to go far, and the map had told them exactly which tunnel to take. She didn't like the way it funneled them through in a line two or three across, as her people would be far too vulnerable as they were exiting the tunnel. She would be dealing with Lilith, so, aside from the more magically inclined Summers, the only advantage they would have over the vampires would be their greater numbers... hellhounds notwithstanding. So she went on ahead to make sure it was clear.

The good news was that Lilith apparently _hadn't_ been expecting them. There were vampires scattered all over the immense cavern, some with hellhounds accompanying them, but by and large they were facing _away_ from the tunnel. (The animals would pick up on them before they could even get close, she knew, so as much as she'd like to try a surprise attack and see if she could take them all out without any casualties on her side, she knew that wouldn't work.) The bad news, however, was that they were facing away because they were watching the sacrifice ceremony that had already started. The five victims were still enclosed in the Greater Circle - and even from so far away, she could tell that it was some upper tier work - but chances were that wouldn't last much longer.

As for the cavern itself... That made her take a second to stop and stare. She hadn't thought the stairs had gone down all that far, but either that combined with the gentle downward slope of the tunnel had been more of a drop than she'd thought, or her veil had kept her from noticing that they'd transitioned from being entirely on Earth. And come to think of it, Maeve _had_ said something about the Beast's lair being in flux, hadn't she? Either way, the ceiling arched high above their heads. The cavern was largely unadorned - which made sense, really, because during the sacrifice, the vampires would be too busy to need anything else, and the rest of the time they would have little to no reason to be down there - though there was clearly a sound system installed somewhere, speakers hidden among the stalagmites that ringed the cavern. The techno-pop that the sacrifices were dancing to had to be coming from somewhere, after all. (They'd long ago been cleared from most of the center for convenience and ease of access.) Well, three sides of the cavern, anyway. On the fourth side - the one opposite from where she'd come in, fortunately - there was an enormous chasm. Guessing that was the opening to Lophiiformes' lair, she made a mental note to keep an eye on that. If it brought the Light up into the cavern, she needed to make sure Carmilla would be in a position to shatter it before it could ensnare all of her fellow students.

Had she been expecting the vampires to be dressed in brown robes or similarly cultish outfits, she would have been disappointed. They were just wearing their everyday clothing - which for the dean was a power suit, so she was at least a _little_ more formally dressed than the others - evidently having done this so often it wasn't anything special, anymore. Of course, the Summers and Zetas were also dressed normally, which was really her fault for not giving them more notice. Really, she was the only one actually dressed for the occasion, wasn't she?

 _Eh, whatever._ If nobody else wanted to wear actual combat gear, they'd just have to be careful while fighting. (She did make a mental note to find more appropriate attire for the next time she had to do something like this, something less garish. But given that it had been this or a dress...)

Having had no intelligence on how the dean's forces were going to be arrayed, they hadn't exactly been able to come up with a more detailed battle plan than 'Laura takes on the dean, Carmilla frees the sacrifices and destroys the light (when possible), everybody else keeps the dean's minions busy'. She supposed there were some things you just _couldn't_ plan, but she would have been more comfortable if everyone had specific tasks to accomplish. The less chaotic the battle was, she felt, the less chance of someone getting hurt, or killed.

Nothing to be done about it now, though.

She waited patiently for everyone to clear the tunnel and form ranks, noting happily that the Summers and Zetas were meshing surprisingly well in that respect. The Zetas were armed with their traditional tridents and salted herring (and she wondered, not for the first time, if Poseidon didn't have some influence over the Zetas; maybe that was why whoever had designed the poster for the Summer Society had put Athena on it - they'd noticed the rivalry and feuding, and hadn't been able to resist), while the non-magical Summers tended to go with swords and shields. Some of the magic users had, too, but others were armed with all manner of items used to focus their power: wands, rings, chains, etc. Laura had never gotten around to learning how to make - or even use - any such thing, but she didn't need to, anymore.

Some of the hellhounds were starting to take notice of their presence by the time everyone was ready - she caught sight of Carm and Danny near the back, and... Wait, was that Mary? What was _she_ doing there? - so Laura saw little point in maintaining the veil any longer. She let it drop, then took up a position several paces ahead of her small army.

(A tiny voice in the back of her mind was shouting at her that this was wrong, that she was no general; she was just a 19-year-old girl... but it was drowned by the rising tide of Summer.)

Rather than wait for everyone to notice they suddenly had company, she lashed out with invisible force, knocking most of them clear off their feet... and sending a couple of vampires in security guard uniforms tumbling over the edge of the chasm. " _ **Lilith!**_ " she ground out, and _everyone_ else in the cavern winced, flinched, or recoiled to varying degrees as the word hammered at them. She caught a few vampires bleeding from the eyes and ears, despite her voice not even being anywhere near _that_ loud. What it had lacked in volume, however, it had more than made up for in rage, turning her voice into razor blades.

When a Princess of Faerie was angry with you, you freaking well _knew it_.

Taking care to modulate her tone - it wouldn't do to incapacitate her allies, after all - she continued, "We could have done this peacefully, Lilith. But no, you refused to cooperate. What follows is on your head. As Princess of the Summer Court, I accuse you of multiple violations of the Unseelie Accords." She pointed at Elsie, in the circle. "Proof of your guilt stands right there. So I will say this to those who follow you once, and once only: you will cooperate, you will surrender, or you _**will**_ die."

Utter silence followed her pronouncement.

There really was nothing like making a good entrance, she decided.

 

* * *

 

"Oh, this is _not_ happening," Will muttered, eyes wide.

"I can assure you that it is," Laura replied, and his eyes grew wider, because she should _not_ have heard that.

"This has stopped being at all amusing, Miss Hollis," Lilith said flatly, holding up a hand. "As you are now _officially_ disrupting the sacrifice, I am well within my rights to dismember you." He could feel her summoning up her will, drawing upon him and the others she'd sired to magnify that power. He'd seen vampires and faeries alike smashed helplessly to the ground underneath just the crushing force of just her will. Cassandra might have thrown it off, just barely, but with so many of her 'children' supplementing her, even she wouldn't have had a chance.

So he was understandably shocked when Hollis, young and inexperienced changeling that she was, simply said, "No," and brought her left hand up in a casual motion, like she was brushing aside a cobweb... and the invisible battering ram that had been about to turn her into paste simply evaporated, like a bad dream.

"For the benefit of the slow, I will repeat myself: surrender or die," she said, an uncompromising look on her face.

"How did...?" He shot a confused look at his mother... and was alarmed to see uncertainty in her eyes. Ever since she'd raised him from the grave, she'd _always_ had all the answers. You might not _like_ them, but she had them. But it was clear that she had no better idea than he did how Hollis had done that.

Until her eyes widened. "You _didn't_..." she said softly.

Hollis glared at her, then, biting out her words, repeated, "Princess. Of. Summer."

Comprehension dawned, and Will realized how _utterly_ screwed his side likely was.

Hollis waited, but no one was taking her up on her offer. Some looked like they might have wanted to, but even they stayed quiet, shooting fearful looks at Lilith. She sighed. "So be it, then," she stated with a dreadful finality. "No more chances." She held out her hands to either side, cupping her palms as a swirling orb of painfully bright flame appeared above each. Butterflies sculpted from pure flame began erupting from them, forming into a large, dense cloud above her head. That done, she brought her arms down in a sharp motion, the spheres in her hands morphing into a pair of swords made from somehow solid-looking orange fire, with white flames dancing along the slightly curved blades. Each hilt had one side that curved down, while the other curved up, while the pommels seemed oddly jagged.

Gail, standing near Laura, took one look at her conjured weapons and playfully remarked, "Someone's a _Skyrim_ fan..."

Laura allowed herself a brief, slight smile. Then she cocked her head to the side, listening to the bubblegum pop song that was currently playing. "No, that won't do at all," she decided, focusing on it. There was a burst of static from the hidden speakers, and another song entirely began playing. "Take them," she commanded, then began marching across the cavern straight toward Lilith. The Summers and Zetas, having wanted to do something about the vampires on campus and the kidnappings and murder for quite a while, now, hardly needed any encouragement, and charged the enemy forces, shouting.

 

_Define your meaning of war_

_To me it's what we do when we're bored_

_I feel the heat comin off of the blacktop_

_And it makes me want it more_

_Because I'm hyped up, outta control_

_If it's a fight I'm ready to go_

_I wouldn't put my money on the other guy_

_If you know what I already know_

 

There was something to be said for the element of surprise. Carmilla had known that for centuries, but every now and then, something happened to reinforce that lesson all over again. The humans may have had the advantage of greater numbers, as well as a number of magic users, but if they'd had time to prepare, the slight under thirty vampires and their hellhounds would have made short work of them. As things stood, though, not only had they been caught off guard, but they'd been caught up in reinforcing her mother's attack... and whatever Laura had done to dispel it clearly wasn't wearing off quickly

She'd been a little confused when Laura had spawned a cloud of fiery butterflies, but their purpose became clear when one of the guards - she _thought_ his name was Gustav - tried to (literally) disarm one of the Summers. A single butterfly darted down and struck him in the chest, producing a bright flare of light like an old-fashioned flashbulb... and then there was just a person-shaped cloud of ashes drifting down to the ground. She probably would have been taking care of all of them that way if she could, rather than put anyone else in danger, but it seemed to take at least a small portion of her awareness to direct them to take specific action, and she didn't dare give the dean that kind of opening.

Another vampire - Carmilla thought he'd worked in the mental health offices - tried to tackle Laura. She simply brought up one of her swords in a backhanded swing, the blade shearing through him like his torso was made of smoke. The Cupcake didn't even pause to watch as his bottom half continued forward, while the top half tumbled backward.

Apparently, when Laura put on her game face, she could play as hard as anyone.

That probably should have been reassuring - indeed, if she _had_ taken up the mantle, as evidence was increasingly suggesting, she would likely _need_ to be able to do that - but the suddenness of it was so out of character that it was somewhat worrying. Carmilla was making her way around the cavern, occasionally pausing to punch one of her mother's minions as she went - it was oddly cathartic, really. Still, she couldn't afford to let her concern for Laura distract her; she had her own task to accomplish.

There was another, more immediate reason, of course, as evidenced by a growl behind her. She didn't bother looking, instead breaking into a sprint, the sound of scrabbling paws pursuing her. There was another hellhound standing guard near her goal: the Greater Circle. That one crouched low, adding its growl to the growing cacophony.

She would have to time this just right.

She paused, then blurred out of the way, doing a backflip, planting her hands on the pursuing hellhound's back and handspringing off. When it drew to a halt, trying to reverse course, she took two steps forward and punted, sending it careening into the other, and causing both to smash into the impenetrable wall of the circle. Before either could recover, she hurled the Blade of Hastur like it was a spear, sending it into the ground near both of them... and right into the outer edge of the circle.

There was something like a horrible squeal of feedback _inside_ her head - inside _everyone's_ head, judging by the reactions of those around her - and the Greater Circle shattered, the magical backlash knocking those inside it to the ground... and coincidentally keeping them safe from the effects of the Blade of Hastur, unlike the clearly lifeless hellhounds. They'd hoped that would be the case, but they hadn't been sure, which was Carmilla had been forced to take the long way around the cavern to find a spot as far away from the sacrifices as she could manage.

She dashed forward to collect the sword again, vaguely aware of a few Summers and Zetas breaking away from their respective fights to round up the sacrifices and escort them to safety. She'd barely picked the sword up before she heard her mother's scream of rage, and when she looked up, she saw that she'd managed to secure Lilith's undivided attention.

She swallowed hard.

 

_It's been a long time coming_

_And the tables' turned around_

_Cause one of us is goin'_

_One of us is goin' down_

_I'm not runnin', it's a little different now_

_Cause one of us is goin'_

_One of us is goin' down!_

 

Laura continued advancing on Lilith, not taking her eyes off the woman.

She was aware of what was happening around her, but unless she felt a sudden burst of pain or panic from one of her Summers - as she did from Claire, and promptly directed one of her butterflies to take care of the vampire that had dared lay its hands on one of hers - she would trust her allies to take care of themselves. Lilith hadn't actually _stopped_ trying to flatten Laura with her will, meaning she had to _continually_ disrupt her attack. One of Lilith's minions must have thought she looked distracted or something - that, or he was just used to being at the top of the food chain and had grown overconfident in his abilities - and launched himself at her, paying for that mistake with his life.

She kept walking.

Lilith changed up her tactics, summoning up a flock of birds from precisely nowhere and sending them at Laura. Maybe she thought it would distract her enough for her ongoing barrage of willpower to punch through her defenses. Instead, Laura pointed one of her fiery swords at the birds, sending forth a stream of searing white fire, incinerating them as they came. Abandoning that approach, she instead tried to utilize her superspeed to close the gap between them so she could physically rend Laura limb from limb.

That sort of thing didn't work so well against an opponent who could manipulate time, however.

From her perspective, everyone else in the cavern slowed to a near halt, sound becoming muted. She ignored it, focusing on Lilith as she rapidly covered the ground that separated them. She had enough time to blink in surprise upon seeing Laura reacting to her approach in real time, then Laura swung one of her swords in an upward arc. Rather than slicing her in two and ending the fight then and there - of course it wouldn't be that easy, she thought dourly - the fiery blade slashed along one of her defenses, eliciting a flurry of coruscating sparks and sending Lilith sliding backward across the ground a good ten feet or so.

Evidently, she could do other things with her will than brute force attacks. Little wonder she hadn't seemed at all nervous facing even a hellfire-empowered Cassandra.

Then there was a horrible screeching sound in her mind, momentarily bringing all the fights in the cavern to a halt. A quick look showed that, sure enough, Carmilla had broken the Greater Circle, freeing the sacrifices. Fortunately, they _had_ at least planned ahead enough to have specific people assigned to get them out. Jenna had also been given free rein to do anything and everything she could to help them where the parasites were concerned, should destroying the Light not kill them, and Gail had volunteered to assist, in case they had any trouble convincing the sacrifices to leave the 'party'.

Unfortunately, Lilith wasn't stupid, and immediately figured out what had just happened. She screamed, furious. It wasn't the lacerating rage that had been in Laura's voice earlier, but it could still easily be mistaken for hypersonic weaponry, and all vampires and humans alike near her clutched at their ears. Laura had known something like that could happen - Mattie, Carmilla had told her the other day, tended to lash out the same way when she was really angry, so if that was a power that developed with age, naturally the dean would possess it, as well - so she'd made sure her shield defended against sonic attacks, as well as physical or energy ones. Lilith was glaring at Carmilla, she saw, and that just wouldn't do. She launched another spear of blue-white fire at the ancient vampire, snapping, "Hey! Pay attention to your own fight!"

Lilith sensed the attack coming at the last second, whirling and reestablishing her defenses... but either she didn't get them fully in place quickly enough, or Laura had been angrier at the threat to her girlfriend than she'd thought, because part of her strike actually made it through, slamming into Lilith and sending her flying backward into a stalagmite before crashing into the ground, scrambling to get out of her flaming jacket.

Then there was a rumbling _in_ the ground, and a bright light began rising from the pit, and the vampires and humans again had something in common: being utterly transfixed by it.

"Carm, you'd better be ready," Laura muttered. If not, this could get very bad, very quickly.

 

_Define your meaning of fun_

_To me it's when we're gettin' it done_

_I feel the heat comin' off of the blacktop_

_So get ready for another one_

_Let's take a trip down memory lane_

_The words circulate in my brain_

_You can treat this like another all I'm saying_

_But don't cry like a bitch when you feel the pain_

 

This really hadn't been her best idea.

Mary honestly couldn't have said what had possessed her to follow Laura and her friends into the Lustig Building. They'd been armed and moving with purpose. She'd even guessed that they'd been heading for a fight. She herself hated confrontation, she didn't want to get hurt, and she certainly didn't want to die. So why follow?

Because Laura hadn't had a camera with her, and she'd gotten the feeling that what was about to happen was something that _should_ be documented. Admittedly, all she had to work with was an iPhone, but that was just going to have to do.

She hadn't been prepared for them to all suddenly turn invisible, even though she _knew_ that was something Laura could do. She wasn't sure what to do, at first, but then she sensed Rose's presence. As always, that was enough to calm her down. Everything was always just... better... when Rose was around. She also seemed to know where everyone had gone; had she been able to, Mary would have hugged her for that. She lead Mary down through the building, into basement, then down through the tunnels underneath that.

She reached the end of the tunnel just as the unlikely alliance of Zetas and Summer Society sisters faded back into view. She couldn't _quite_ see everything-

" _ **Lilith!**_ "

-but maybe this was close enough, she thought frantically. That one word had hit her with seemingly physical force, feeling like someone had taken a staple gun to her ears. Even _Rose_ seemed to recoil from it, which she found all the more alarming.

It was strange. She would have loved nothing more than for Rose to have a corporeal form, yet she found she didn't like it when things affected her like that. Rose had a somewhat different view: When Laura's... teacher, she supposed, had hurt her that first night, Rose had been shocked, yes, but not nearly as upset as Mary had been. It had been so long since she'd had _any_ real sensation, she explained, even that had almost been welcome. More over, being a ghost among the living, it was easy to feel disconnected from them, separate. Other. She hadn't enjoyed the pain, but that she _could_ feel it had made her feel a little closer to being human. To Mary.

Mary was sure she'd turned bright red when Rose had told her that.

She moved to a position behind one of the stalagmites and began filming as Laura - thankfully _not_ in the same physically painful voice from before - launched into her speech, and then the fight began.

The scene was so violent and chaotic that she honestly wasn't sure where to be pointing her camera. She might well just end up with a blurry, loud mess, but she or Laura could always just edit in some narration later if need be, she decided. By default, she stayed focused on Laura most of the time, since the confrontation with the dean was the whole driving force behind all this, though she did turn to capture another part of the battlefield now and then, especially when someone was between Laura and where she was hiding. That the magic-using Summers were making a good showing of themselves wasn't a surprise, and the more traditionally armed ones clearly knew what they were doing, but she _was_ surprised by how well the Zetas could wield their tridents, which were proving especially effective at dealing with the hellhounds, whose acidic drool could begin eating away even at the Summers' shields. Oddly, the salted herring seemed almost to repel the dogs, maybe overwhelming their overly sensitive noses. Either way, the two groups were working together surprisingly well.

She winced again - resulting in a nausea-inducing jerky blur in the footage - at a sudden screech inside her brain, and whipped around just in time to film the last echoes of the circle that had been holding the captives falling. The dean's scream made the previous noise seem gentle by comparison, and the footage she was filming actually glitched. Fortunately, her phone recovered in time to film Laura's _beautiful_ to-the-point reply to that.

Really, anyone who'd ever lost anyone at Silas would love to see the dean being smacked down like that, she felt.

Then the rumbling started, and... a light appeared.

Or maybe a Light.

It was like the sun rising underground. Like everyone else, she stared, transfixed by the brightness. She started walking toward it, because what else could she _do_ but give herself to that Light?

Then there was a growing warmth encircling her, trying to pull her back. She struggled against it for a moment before it sunk in what it was, what it _had_ to be.

Rose. Trying desperately to stop her from marching to her death.

She staggered to a halt, overcome. Even though her death might mean they could be together - _really_ together - Rose wouldn't have it. Mary's survival was more important to her than her own happiness.

Or her own _safety_ , apparently, because the Light was suddenly everywhere, and it was _pulling_ at her. Mary could see figures in it, reaching out, and remembered too late what Laura had said about it trapping the souls of the past sacrifices.

Souls. Spirits. Ghosts.

Like Rose.

Mary lunged, frantically trying to grab onto Rose. In the Light, she could actually _see_ how scared Rose was, see her silently mouthing pleas for help. The problem with trying to grab a ghost, of course, was that she was _a ghost_. Intangible. The Light was burning her, but she didn't care, she kept trying, refusing to let Rose go.

Her backward progress abruptly stopped, then started again, then stopped, then Rose seemed to be pulled closer, only to stop and drift back toward the source of the Light again. A startled look around revealed the cause: Kheelan, hand outstretched, apparently playing tug of war with the creature for Rose's soul. Maybe it was his way of making up for what he'd done before, maybe he was just following Laura's wishes. Mary didn't care. Either way, she'd never been so glad to see him. He was _trying_ , bless his heart, but the Deep One seemed to be stronger than even his magic. Rose, clearly fearing she wouldn't get another chance, looked Mary in the eyes, her voice echoing in her mind.

_I love you, Mary._

In desperation, she screamed, "Laura!"

 

_It's been a long time coming_

_And the tables' turned around_

_Cause one of us is goin'_

_One of us is goin' down_

_I'm not runnin', it's a little different now_

_Cause one of us is goin'_

_One of us is goin' down!_

 

Despite expecting it, Laura was still surprised at the intensity of the Light. As such, it took her a moment to notice that _everyone_ was now walking toward the edge of the chasm. Even the dean looked dismayed at that turn of events... which was understandable, given that the vampires were supposed to be _immune_ to the Deep One's Light, weren't they?

Unless it had just been pretending not to be able to affect them, until it could manage to gather together a big enough feast to... Well, she didn't know what would happen if it ate _that_ many people at once, and had no intention of finding out. Her mother was the Lady of Light and Life, as Professor Cochrane had reminded her. Which meant that even this creature's Light should fall under her aegis, to some degree.

First things first, though. She raised a shield between the mesmerized crowd and the chasm's edge. After that, she reached out to the Summers and shoved the foreign influence aside. They were _hers_ , not the Deep One's. As she'd expected, once roused, the Summers were quick on the uptake, immediately working on snapping the Zetas out of their trances.

"Laura!"

As quiet as the cavern had become, the desperate cry for help was easy to hear. A quick look around showed Mary and Kheelan, struggling futilely to keep the Light from taking Rose, too. She was _just_ close enough to see the silent proclamation of love, even as Rose was tugged free from Kheelan's magical grasp.

And just like that, Laura's temper snapped.

Loudly.

A growl built in her chest, building until it burst forth in a full-throated roar of pure, righteous indignation, and she _exploded_ into pure, white flame. (Looking back afterward, she would be pretty sure she'd just set the dean on fire again.) Even her armored, golden clothing wasn't able to take it, burning away in a heartbeat. She reached out with her power, seizing onto the Deep One's Light and disrupting it as easily as she had Lilith's earlier attack. " _No more! Do you hear me, monster?_ _ **NO MORE!**_ "

She'd managed to free everyone from its hold, though they probably wouldn't appreciate it until they _weren't_ writhing on the ground in agony.

She didn't care. Her natural instincts drew upon the knowledge she'd gained with the mantle of Princess. She'd already exercised her domain over light. Now it was time for life.

She couldn't do anything for the souls still trapped in the Light. Even if they'd been free, she wasn't sure there was enough of them left... and she knew they'd likely want to move on to whatever was waiting for them in the afterlife. They certainly deserved to.

Rose, on the other hand...

She was _there_. In spirit, if not in flesh. Creating that flesh, breathing life into it... That in and of itself wasn't hard, exactly. Creating life and bringing someone _to_ life weren't the same thing at all, but luckily, she only had to do one of those things.

Mary didn't seem to understand what was happening. She'd managed to get to her feet before almost anyone else, her obvious feelings for Rose pushing her to ignore her own pain. She'd been delighted when Rose had abruptly stopped in mid-air, only to become confused when she was obscured within a cocoon of green light.

And she was thunderstruck when a decidedly solid form fell out of that light to crash painfully to the ground.

 _Oops._ Even as lost in righteous fury as she was, Laura couldn't help but wince a bit at that. A moment later, she realized that while she'd given Rose a body, she _hadn't_ given her clothes. A heartbeat later, the groaning Rose was wearing a wreath of flowers in her hair, a tunic with bell sleeves and a flowery skirt that hung to her dainty feet. Apparently, that was what she was most comfortable in, as Laura had let Rose's own mind choose her attire. For some reason, she seemed almost as stunned by the fact that she had both of her eyes as she was at being in a body at all. Laura made a mental note to find out more about how she'd died later.

Mary flung herself at the now physical Rose with a wordless cry of joy, and Laura turned away to give the two as much privacy as she could. She also had another fish to fry... so to speak. "Carmilla," she said in as level a tone as she could manage. Her fury at what the creature had attempted to do, at all the attrocities that had taken place at Silas, still simmered in her voice, but she managed to keep it under control. Her mother had warned her that her voice was part of her power, but she hadn't really appreciated what that had meant until now.

Carmilla had been staring at one of the figures in the Light, and it wasn't hard to guess it must have been Elle. She was pretty sure Carm had been crying, because in all the time since, she'd never been able to see her. Still, she shook herself out of it quickly enough, then looked at Laura, nodded, and hurled the Blade of Hastur into the Light.

It shook and sputtered, then exploded like a popped balloon. There was an almost subaudible rushing sound, and _hundreds_ of glowing forms streamed up through the ceiling, finally _free_ to move on.

 

_This is hardly worth fighting for_

_But it's the little petty shit that I can't ignore_

_With my fist in your face and your face on the floor_

_It'll be a long time comin'_

_But you got the message now_

_Cause I was never goin'_

_Yeah, you're the one that's going down!_

 

"You _dare_..." Lilith seethed, which wasn't terribly wise, because she also drew Laura's attention firmly back to her.

"Yes, I do," Laura snapped. She'd had more than enough of this. Her swords had lost cohesion when her temper had literally errupted, but that didn't matter, now. With a wave of her hand, she plucked Lilith up from the ground, holding her suspended in the air. Circles of light around each of her limbs, her waist, and her neck kept her immobile. "I don't know who you once were," Laura told her, holding up her right hand, which began glowing even brighter than the rest of her. "But your time is done." The dean screamed in rage... which was cut off as a column of _searing_ blue-white fire lanced out from Laura's hand, _obliterating_ Lilith and punching a hole straight through the cavern's roof, the fire continuing up into the night sky.

Silence descended over the cavern.

 

_One of us is going down!_

_I'm not runnin', it's a little different now_

_Cause one of us is goin'_

_One of us is goin' down!_

_One of us is going down!_

 

Lola Perry looked around, _exceedingly_ confused. The last thing she remembered with any clarity was getting ready for bed - she was even still wearing her pajamas - though there were occasional flashes after that: a cave, her phone, a blonde woman. Going from that to being in an oddly-lit cave was understandably alarming, though seeing some of the people standing near her - including Betty - clued her in to what must have happened.

She'd been taken.

Before she could start panicking, Su- er, LaFontaine was there, along with a number of Zetas and Summers. Perry flung herself at LaF, nearly knocking them off their feet. "I'm so glad to see you!" she whispered

"Jenna?" a puzzled voice off to her side asked. A quick look showed that it was Elsie, the missing Summer Danny had been looking for. "What's going on?"

"How do you feel?" Jenna asked, running a glowing gemstone of some kind over her like a scanning device.

"Confused," she replied, a vague irritation in her voice. "Where are we?"

"Underneath the Lustig Building. Congratulations. You found where the vampires take their sacrifices." Jenna gave Elsie a sharp look. "The hard way."

"They..." Her eyebrows shot up, irritated look crumbling into one of uncertainty, even fear. "I... I don't remember..."

"Neither do I," Perry offered, trying to help.

Kirsch - and what had _he_ been doing in with the rest of them? - shifted uneasily. "Last thing I remember is confronting-" Movement off to the side caught his attention, and he turned to look, eyes narrowing into a hard expression. " _Will_!" he finished angrily.

The vampire in question, who'd been trying to slink by unnoticed in the confusion, jumped in surprise. The eyes of the assembled group swung to face him, and he took a nervous step backward. "Look, Wilson, I don't know what you _think_ you remember hearing..."

"Laura has you on tape admitting to what you did to Sarah Jane," LaFontaine pointed out.

"You've betrayed every oath you ever made as a Zeta," Theo said in a quiet, dangerously calm tone.

"Oaths," Will spat, disgusted. "You know _nothing_ of Oaths."

"And you know nothing of honor," Theo countered. "You were told to surrender or die. Last chance."

He smirked. "Suppose I choose none of the above?" He blurred forward at vampiric speed... for two or three feet, then stumbled to a stop, looking down at the smoking hole in his chest in confusion.

Gail, hand outstretched, finger pointed right at his heart, replied, "That wasn't an option given." She watched as he tumbled lifelessly to the ground, shook her head, and turned away. "Come on, let's get you out of here," she said gently, placing a hand on Perry's shoulder. "Laura can handle things from here."

"Laura?" Elsie asked, still confused. "Carmilla's roommate?"

"She's _the Princess_ ," Gail told her reverently, gesturing toward the only light source in the cave.

A light source that was, indeed, Laura, Perry noted in surprise. She looked like she was wearing a dress made of pure, almost holy white fire, standing like a goddess among a sea of chaos. "Oh, why couldn't I have found _you_ that first year?" Perry whispered, then allowed herself to be lead toward the exit.

"The Princess?" Elsie was asking Jenna. "As in...?" Her eyes widened in shock.

"As in," Jenna confirmed, actually smiling for once. "We have a lot to fill you in on."

"Clearly..."

Laura watched them go. Seeing their ancient, seemingly all-powerful leader be so utterly destroyed had taken the fight out of a lot of the vampires, who were finally accepting her offer and surrendering. She let Kheelan take charge of those, since they hardly had the facilities to hold prisoners on campus. (Or if they did, she didn't want to know about it.) One particularly stubborn vampire attacked Kirsch, only to be swiftly taken care of by Danny.

Carmilla walked over to Laura, being forced to stay back by her unusual attire. (Apparently, the Princess in her _wanted_ to be wearing a dress.) "The sword-" she began, but Laura cut her off.

"Leave it down there," she said. "We don't need it, now, and the Seal will keep it much safer there than it was in Lake Baikal. I need everyone outside, away from the area around the Lustig. This is likely to cause a fair amount of damage, topside."

"What about you?"

Laura smiled at her. "I'll be fine, don't worry. Lophiiformes is in pain right now, and weakened by the loss of the souls it had devoured, but it's going to be getting _angry_ soon. I'd rather bind it in its lair before then."

"Gotcha." It wasn't hard to hurry everyone along - nobody really _wanted_ to be down there, anymore - and she found that the Alchemy Club had evidently decided to chip in that night after all, producing a number of glowing puffballs, which, combined with Laura's leftover butterflies, were plenty of light to find their way back out. A final look back showed Laura, hands raised over her head, a massive, glowing, golden circle appearing in the air, alien sigils filling the inside of it, painful to look at too closely. It only got brighter as she lowered her arms, bringing the Seal down, and the ground began to shake.

A lot.

That was enough to _really_ hurry everyone along, and they were back outside almost before she knew it.

Just in time to watch the Lustig Building collapse in on itself, and the entire area around it following suit, forming a huge crater.

Luckily, everyone had taken Laura's 'get as far away as possible' advice seriously, so no one fell in. For a long, long moment, there was silence, ash and debris drifting down through the air like snow.

Finally, about two seconds before Carmilla would have given in to her impulse to dash down into the crater and search for her girlfriend, Laura appeared in a flash of light. A cheer rose from the assembled crowd, which she acknowledged, but didn't seem to overly enjoy.

No real surprise there. Laura had never seemed to like _that_ kind of attention. Her dress had at least lost the 'fire' aspect, becoming just a plain white ballgown. No longer in danger of being set ablaze, Carmilla stepped up and hugged her. "We did it," she breathed, amazed. "We actually, really _did it_."

Laura hugged her back. "Yeah," she agreed. "You're free. Almost everyone's free." She looked back at the destruction she'd left in her wake, and her expression turned almost sorrowful. "The battle's over."

She wasn't sure why, but for some reason, those words, delivered in that tone, sent up about a dozen red flags in Carmilla's mind.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Carmilla (the series), or any recognizable characters.

**Author's Note:** Whoa... I actually _finished_ a story, for once?

But seriously, I'd like to thank all the readers who have stuck with me for this long. I can only hope that you like this epilogue, and that you'll be back for the other stories in this series, when they come around. (The Josie-centric prequel, tentatively titled _Burning Out_ , will be next.)

Also, since I didn't make it as clear as I should have last time, the lyrics from last chapter were _You're Going Down_ , by the group Sick Puppies.

So, with no further ado, the end of the beginning.

* * *

The entire affair ended the same way it had begun: a vlog entry.

Most of the assembled Summers and Zetas had dispersed to properly celebrate their victory, and would likely continue doing so until they left for the holiday break. It was certainly worthy of celebration, and those not doing so then would be shortly. But on the walk back to the dorms, Laura had revealed her intention to make one last video to finish up her Journalism project, and the core group had volunteered to assist by providing their perspectives on what had happened during the chaotic battle, to try and make better sense of it. The sacrifices, meanwhile, were largely confused about what had happened. Most of them had no idea how they'd wound up in the cave, or that vampires were involved... or that vampires even existed, for that matter. All they were sure of was that they were missing time, had nearly been killed, and Laura had (somehow) saved them, so they were sticking close to her until things could be fully explained.

The parasites that had been so altering their behavior certainly seemed to be dead, but Jenna was discreetly looking them over to make sure the things weren't just dormant, instead. With Lophiiformes sealed away it likely wouldn't matter either way, but she didn't want to take chances. As none of the five really _wanted_ live parasitical creatures in their brains, they agreed with her wholeheartedly. (Or at least, they did once the others had gotten that far in the explanation.)

Mary had contributed a recording of at least part of the battle. She'd dropped her phone once the Light had started trying to take Rose, but Kheelan had recovered it before it had been stepped on. The video was jumbled and disjointed, but Laura decided that reflected what being in a fight like that was like perfectly, so she'd attached it to her project. She'd also made sure to credit it to Mary, should that earn her any extra credit with Professor Cochrane.

Mary herself wasn't present for the final filming, as she and Rose had retreated to Mary's own room for some much needed time to decompress, and for Rose to try and get used to having a body, again. (She'd actually walked right _into_ Mary's door, being so distracted that she'd forgotten she couldn't just go through it, anymore.) Somehow, Laura was pretty sure the fact that there was only one bed in there wouldn't be any kind of problem.

As Laura had mostly expected, the fact that Betty had been a party girl as long as she'd known her meant that she _had_ been infected the entire time... which meant that now, Betty had no idea who any of them were, even her roommate. That hurt, a little, but she supposed in the long run it would make things easier. (Fortunately, she didn't mind being called Betty, as sheer habit would have had everyone doing so whether she wanted them to or not.) Betty would be spending the night in a guest room at the Summer Society House, and in the morning planned on starting the process of transferring away from Silas, as she'd been taken during a campus tour, and hadn't had any interest in attending Silas even _before_ she'd almost been fed to an ancient fish monster. Honestly, no one could blame her for wanting to leave after all that. Between Facebook and Twitter, they would at least be able to stay in touch with her, and make sure she was settling into her new life - or, more accurately, readjusting to her old one - alright.

Hearing Danny and Kirsch's playful banter - and him calling her a "bro", admitting that he could kind of use one, with Will gone - gave her hope that the peace between previously warring factions might just last, even in her absence. She certainly hoped so.

Carmilla couldn't make any predictions as to what would happen when the Board of Governors showed up to assume the task of guarding the Gate, something none of them would have wanted to do. That Laura had sealed it and Lophiiformes off, meaning they wouldn't have to _do_ much beyond be around just in case, would hopefully help. "But at least I'll finally be able to introduce you to Mattie," she told Laura.

"I'd like that," Laura replied, which was true... not that it could have been a lie. Not anymore.

Well, she'd never exactly gone around lying her head off before, so how difficult of a transition could this be?

Aside from Danny and Kirsch getting along, probably the biggest surprise to her, post-battle, was Perry seemed to have attached herself to Gail. Not so much on Perry's part - she was, understandably, still kind of freaked out, and Gail had demonstrated with Will that she could and _would_ keep her safe - but that Gail seemed almost... shy, at times, when speaking to her.

Laura looked away, hiding a smile. That was none of her business, after all.

Once she'd finished and posted her video - no real editing required for this - she wasn't sure what to do. She knew what she _should_ have been doing, but... she didn't want to. She wasn't ready to say goodbye, not yet.

But she'd made a promise, and being ready or not had nothing to do with it.

As usual, Danny forced the issue. The battle over, the geas Laura had placed on her was also gone. "Laura," she prompted.

"I know, I know..."

"You didn't say anything about it in the video," she added, much to the confusion of everyone else in the room.

"I _know_..."

"Speaking as your Lit TA, I can tell you your teachers _are_ going to wonder where you went."

"Yeah." Laura sighed.

"What's she talking about?" Carmilla asked, the bad feeling that hadn't quite left once the battle was over rearing its ugly head once again.

Laura was silent for a long moment. "I tried," she finally began. "I swear, I tried so hard to be ready, to learn enough and be strong enough to be able to beat Lilith as myself. To not need to.. _change_. But I couldn't do it. _Josie_ couldn't even do it, and she'd been... _so_ far ahead of me. So I... accepted the mantle," she admitted. "Was officially crowned Princess of Summer."

"You have a crown?" Gail interjected.

"A tiara. I didn't bring it with me."

Everyone else was digesting their surprise during the exchange. Everyone who hadn't already reasoned out what Laura had done, that is. "So, you're the Summer Princess, now," Carmilla said simply. "You never did say why you'd been rejecting that so strongly, before."

"Several reasons, really," Laura said, looking down briefly before forcing herself to meet Carmilla's gaze. "I didn't grow up with Faerie in my life. I'd never especially wanted it. I certainly never wanted the headaches and responsibilities that came with the title of princess. To be forced into a destiny I didn't want... Well, I don't have to tell _you_ , I'm sure."

"No, you don't." Thanks to her 'mother', _that_ was something she understood all too well. "So why not tell me that before?"

She took a deep breath, then blurted out the awful truth. "The Summer Princess doesn't get to live among the mortals."

Dead silence. Carmilla's eyes had widened in shock, and she wasn't the only one.

"I... couldn't accept that," Laura said into the quiet. "Having to leave my life, my family, my friends... **You**..." She shook her head. "And all for the sake of a mother I barely knew, a Court I'd never seen, and maintaining a balance I'd never cared about...? I just couldn't do it. Couldn't even stand _thinking_ about it. So I lied to myself and decided that I could learn enough as myself to save everyone, that the Blade of Hastur would be enough to make up for my deficiencies. That I wouldn't have to take the mantle, so there was no reason to tell you about what it would cost me. But I couldn't do that, could I? I couldn't be so selfish as to let people die just to get what _**I**_ wanted. And I don't even want to think about what Mab would have done to my Dad, if I hadn't. So..." She shrugged. "I get to stay long enough to say goodbye, at least; that was part of my agreement with my mother. I'll... stop in at my Dad's and try to explain things to him later on."

"But... you can visit, right?" Carmilla asked, upset. "I mean... Princesses are allowed to do that, right?"

"In time. I have a _**lot**_ to learn, yet, and a backlog of duties that couldn't be taken up by others to work through. I'll... try to streamline that process as much as I can."

"I'll wait for you," Carmilla whispered.

"I... think we should give them some privacy," Danny said delicately, a couple of seconds before Laura would have asked for it herself.

It was hard. Saying goodbye to her friends, promising to look in on them when she could... Needing to do this was another reason she'd not mentioned for rejecting the mantle previously. All the tight hugs, the trying not to cry... She'd known it was coming, but had refused to accept it.

If she lingered a little longer hugging Danny, silently promising that she'd find some way of making sure she was taken care of the way that she wanted, deep down... Neither said a word about it.

Then it was just her and Carmilla, and the _really_ hard part started.

"I love you," Laura told her once they were alone. More than anything else, she felt that Carmilla needed to know that. "I know I should have told you about... everything... I just couldn't bear thinking about losing you." A few tears streaked down her face, despite her best efforts. "Knowing that I might, that this could end up costing you your life - or worse - if we failed, was the last thing that pushed me into taking up the mantle."

"Laura..." She could be a woman of few words when she wanted to be, but for once, Carmilla was utterly lost for them.

"I made your mother promise to leave you alone," she said, though she'd already mentioned trading the favor the dean had owed her for that during her video. "That will extend to the Board, as well. You can still think of Mattie as your sister all you want, but they can't order you around. Whatever happens next, _you_ get to decide how involved you want to be in it." Which they both knew was something Carmilla hadn't gotten to do in a long time, until Laura had come into her life. "I already explained about what Mom promised me, right? That you'd be safe from Summer magic?"

"Yes." That had also been covered during her video. "I wish you didn't have to go, but... I don't think you'd still be you if you _hadn't_ become the Princess," Carmilla told her, eliciting a brief smile. "And I don't care _what_ mantles you do or don't accept. There is no power in this world or beyond that can make you _be_ someone that you aren't, no matter what anyone tries to get you to believe. Don't ever forget that."

"I'll do my best," Laura promised, then pulled her in for a kiss. It was intense, with a tinge of desperation to it, as many of their kisses the past few days had been... only now Carmilla understood why.

"Oh, that reminds me, I have something for you," Laura said once she'd pulled back. She reached over to her desk, opening up a drawer and pulling out a necklace. "I had Kheelan drop this off for me before the fight. It's something I made for you." She put it on the desk's surface, withdrawing her hand. "I can't give it to you, because then you'd owe me something in return, so I'm just leaving it there. If you happen to take it... Well, that's different."

"Gotcha." It was obvious how much Laura hated having to work around the limitations of the Fae just to give her girlfriend a gift to remember her by, so Carmilla didn't say anything else about that. She picked up the necklace, looking at it. The chain was silver, as many Fae decorations were, and the pendant was red, and shaped like a rose. Peering at it closely revealed a tiny latch.

Laura stopped her before she could try opening it. "Don't. You might end up spilling it. I don't know if I could get away with making another. Don't let on that you have it, and do not, under any circumstances, _drink_ it."

That was enough to clue Carmilla into what she was holding. "Your blood?" Laura nodded. "Why?"

"When the time comes - _if_ the time comes - you'll know," Laura assured her.

"Um, right." She'd just have to trust Laura and accept that, she supposed. She slipped the chain over her head, tucking the necklace under her shirt. "This isn't the end," she abruptly promised. "I meant it, before. I'll wait for you. However long it takes."

"So will I," Laura said, smiling sadly. She couldn't bring herself to say _goodbye_ to Carmilla, exactly, not that her choice of words would have anything to do with when she left. "Until we meet again."

"Until then," Carmilla replied, determined not to let the last sight Laura had of her for a while be her in tears. In a flash of light, Laura and all her belongings vanished from the room.

Then Carmilla was alone. But that was okay. Due to her nature, she took a significantly longer view of things than most anyone else at Silas. She and Laura _would_ meet again, she knew. She just had to be patient.

And some things were _absolutely_ worth waiting for.

* * *

Gail had escorted Perry and LaFontaine (and JP's flashdrive) back to their dorm room, but stopped Perry before she could go in. "I just need to borrow her for a few minutes," she told LaFontaine when they looked at her curiously. "I'll see her back safely."

Perry had been fairly quiet once she'd calmed down from her initial burst of hysterical relief in the cave, but she hadn't said a word since Danny had pushed Laura into admitting she was going to have to leave, even when someone addressed her. LaF clearly didn't like it, but she also knew her best friend well enough to know when she needed space. Gail, however, had an idea about what was brewing in Perry's mind right then, and decided to try and do something about it.

One conversation wouldn't magically make things better, she knew, but it would at least be a start.

She slipped an arm through Perry's, leading her downstairs and outside. The night was cold, and snow had begun falling. Nothing heavy, not yet, and somehow it fit the quiet of the campus perfectly. (Both the Zetas and the Summers had pretty good soundproofing around where they held their celebrations; they had to, or the dean and her supernaturally acute hearing would have shut them down years ago.) Perry was still in her pajamas, but Gail was able to create a bubble of warmth around them to keep her comfortable easily enough.

The sight of the snow did, at least, seem to snap Perry out of her stupor. "What are we doing out here?" she asked, arms hugging herself as if cold. Which she might have been, but not from any physical reason.

"I wanted to talk to you alone," Gail told her seriously. Part of her wished Jenna or Danny had stuck around to do this, as they were much better at this kind of thing, but they hadn't, so it was up to her.

"Why?"

"Because I know that when Cassandra was preparing you for sacrifice, she had to have broken the spell we put on your memory," Gail told her bluntly. "And I didn't think you'd want me drawing attention to that in front of everyone."

Perry was silent for almost a full minute, staring off into the night as the snow fell around them. (Gail's magic kept it from actually _landing_ on either of them.) "You're not wrong," she finally admitted in a muted voice. "I didn't... want to remember any of this."

"I know." Not that she knew the specifics of it any more than Danny did. "I think you can handle it, though. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. And you're not alone. Even if you never say one word about what happened to you, you know we're all here for you, anytime you need us."

Perry smiled at her. It was small, and the tension in her eyes said she wasn't sure she agreed with Gail's assessment of her inner strength, but it was there, and she didn't disagree aloud. "Thank you," she said softly.

That combination of voice and smile really shouldn't have been making her feel so warm inside. She could figure that out later, Gail decided. "If you ever _do_ want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen," she told Perry, locking eyes with her. "I won't push, though. Whether you do or not, I'll still be around. If you want me to be, that is." She wouldn't blame Perry if she wanted nothing further to do with magic or the world of the supernatural at all, after everything.

"I think I'd like it if you were."

"Then I will be." Did the butterflies Laura had created during the battle have something to do with why she felt like something was fluttering around in her stomach? "Well, Lola-"

"Um..." Perry held up a hand to stop her. "I ... have some negative associations... with people calling me that."

Or one unknown being in particular, Gail was willing to bet. "Well, then I'll just have to give you some positive ones." She reached up and took Perry's hand, holding it in her own. "Now c'mon, let's get you back inside before LaF starts worrying."

And if Gail held her hand the entire trip back upstairs, it was only because Perry didn't want to let her go.

* * *

It really wasn't fair.

After struggling for so long to get Will and the others to take him seriously, to give him a chance, he'd done it. He'd been acknowledged, he'd been given a chance to make a name for himself... Hell, even _the dean_ had noticed him. He'd finally been well on his way to _being_ somebody.

And now that was over, because one girl hadn't been able to let her roommate die for the greater good.

Gary Wallace had been called many things over the years, few of them flattering. An opportunist, temperamental, and irritating were among the kindest choices. He was also a survivor. He'd known, once both the dean and Will were dead, that it wasn't safe for him to remain at Silas, so he'd slipped away before he could also be taken into custody. But if young Miss Hollis and her friends thought he was going to forget this, they were fools.

Because in losing what he'd been working for with the vampires, he'd found something even better.

When he'd first seen her around campus, he hadn't had any idea who she was. She was beautiful, sultry, alluring, and had known about and approved of his thirst for power. She'd warned him, though, that neither the Zetas, nor Will, nor who he worked for (while dancing around telling him who that was) could give him what he wanted, the power and prestige he _deserved_. At the time, he hadn't taken her seriously. Now, though...

Now he knew better than to underestimate seemingly normal young women.

"Oh, don't pout," his companion told him, amused. They were standing atop a hill some distance from Silas, looking down at the school. They couldn't get any closer without risking detection, according to her. "Did things not work out in your favor?"

"That doesn't mean I'm going to let them get away with what they did," he replied. He probably should have been more respectful when speaking to her, but she hardly seemed to mind.

"Oh, naturally not. But first things first." She turned away and walked a few paces away. During all the excitement and confusion of acquiring the last two sacrifices, even the dean hadn't spared much thought to the names on the list that had been skipped.

Which she really should have, given that one of the reasons for passing one of the girls over had been 'was turned into an ice sculpture'.

How no one had connected that with the presence of the Winter Princess on campus, he wasn't sure.

Maeve, dressed in a skimpy T-shirt an a pair of jean shorts which ended just below her hips that showed just how immune to the cold she was - and scrambled his thought process pretty much every time she moved - knelt down next to said sculpture, waving a hand over it and reverting the ice to warm flesh. The girl gasped and sputtered, and Maeve beamed down at her. "Hello, Ida," she began, her fond tone clashing with her cold, pitiless eyes.

"Princess? What... what-?"

"I know, how are you supposed to 'protect' me if you're a statue, right?" Maeve shook her head. "It hardly matters. You served your purpose adequately enough." Because Laura had been right when she'd pointed out that Maeve had needed something of an invitation to openly walk around in Lilith's territory. "I found someone better suited to the job of 'Royal Protector' to replace you." His chest swelled with pride at that, just a little.

"I'm... I'm done?" Ida asked hopefully. Clearly, she hadn't found Maeve at all pleasant to work for.

Just as clearly, she hadn't paid much attention to her boss, either. Maeve obviously hadn't chosen her for her brains. "Yes," Maeve agreed, that same look still on her face. "You're done."

Ida's death was as painful as it was predictable.

Even though he'd seen the girl's murder coming, even he grimaced in revulsion when Maeve set about removing her heart. "What are you _doing_?" he had to ask.

"This is going in my collection," she replied simply. She turned to look at him, a carnal hunger in her eyes. "After which, I'll have something to give you." Namely all the power and prestige he'd wanted and then some, as well an impossibly hot woman who had made it clear she wanted to use him for her pleasure, and all but _dared_ him to return the favor.

What more could he have asked for?

"And Silas?" he asked, just to make sure they were on the same page.

He needn't have worried. "They'll be attended to in due course." Her gaze darted off toward the school again. "And there she goes," she said softly, eyes moving upward as if tracking something. She stood, ignoring the bloody corpse she'd just made. "My dear cousin... I confess, despite how diminished she'd become, I didn't expect Lilith to be dispatched so comparatively easily. Well done, indeed, Laura. And don't worry..." Her smile sharpened as she looked down on the unprotected Silas University, and snow began to fall.

"...I'll _take care_ of your friends."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Like I said above, the next story in this series - _Burning Out_ -will technically be the story before this, as it's a prequel. The sequel to this, however, will be coming after that.

_Burning Out_ \- Josie knew it was dangerous, but she had to at least TRY and stop the senseless sacrifices. Prequel to Summer Storm, mostly OC cast.

_Whiteout_ \- A condition of diffuse light when no shadows are cast. No surface irregularities are visible, but a dark object may be clearly seen. There is no visible horizon. Carmilla thought that summed the current situation up nicely.


End file.
